Clark extends contract with LSU Gymnastics through 2031 – LSU

BATON ROUGE – After leading the Tigers to their first national championship in program history, head coach Jay Clark has signed a contract extension with LSU Gymnastics through 2031.

“Jay set a new standard of excellence for our gymnastics program with a first-team national championship this spring,” said LSU Athletics Director Scott Woodward. “I’m excited he will continue to lead our program and guide our student-athletes to new heights.”

In his fourth season as head coach, Clark and the Tigers made history as the first team to bring a championship home to Baton Rouge. LSU finished first in the NCAA semifinals, securing a spot in the finals for the 10th time in school history and the second consecutive year under Clark.

The Tigers claimed their first national title on April 20 with a score of 198.225 in the finals to defeat California (197.850), Utah (197.800) and Florida (197.4375). With the victory, LSU became just the eighth program in NCAA history to win the women’s gymnastics championship.

Clark, a native of Roswell, Georgia, was named the third head coach in the program’s history in August 2021, following the retirement of former coach DD Breaux. A 33-year veteran of the sport, he continues to lead the LSU Gymnastics program to new heights.

“This extension and our success is not about one person. This is a testament to our entire staff who works hard to do things the right way. We value our relationships with each other and the student-athletes we coach,” Clark said.

“We are blessed to all be here together and to work with the level of student-athletes that we do. I am grateful to them, this staff, Athletic Director Scott Woodward, Keli Zinn, President Tate and the LSU Board for this trust. This is a special place for student-athletes to achieve their dreams, and I am so happy to be a part of this institution! Geaux Tigers!”

Earlier this year, Clark was named SEC Co-Head Coach of the Year after winning the program’s fifth SEC championship and Region One Head Coach of the Year after winning the Fayetteville Regional and taking home the program’s 14th NCAA regional title.

He was recently named the top collegiate coach in Louisiana by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, but his accolades don’t stop there. Clark holds multiple Central Region coaching awards, including National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2006, 2014, 2016 and 2017. He is also a member of the USA Gymnastics Region Eight Hall of Fame.

Clark will begin his 14th season at LSU next year, having served as associate head coach for the Tigers for eight seasons and co-head coach for one season prior to becoming head coach. Since beginning his tenure as head coach, Clark has a 74-32-2 record in the Purple & Gold and a 123-60-4 career record.

In 2024, LSU’s gymnastics program saw record attendance thanks to Clark’s efforts. The Tigers posted an undefeated home record and welcomed three sellouts, the most in a single season in program history.

To top it off, LSU finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in attendance nationally, averaging more than 12,500 fans per meeting, the highest average in school history and the seventh straight season averaging 10,000 or more. In total, more than 75,000 Tiger fans turned out for the PMAC during six home meetings this year.

It was only the second time in program history that LSU topped the nation in attendance.

Clark has had great success on both the recruiting trail and in the gym. He is considered one of the best recruiters in the sport, as highlighted by ESPNU and ESPN The Magazine when he was named the ninth best recruiter in college athletics in 2011.

Since Clark arrived, LSU has produced some of the best performances in school history, including eight NCAA Championship Finals appearances, numerous school records, 10 individual NCAA national champions and four SEC championships.

He is also considered one of the best bars coaches in college gymnastics history. Under his watch, LSU has seen 42 All-America honors on bars, four of the top five bars team scores in school history, and the top two bars title winners in LSU history. LSU’s bars lineup has finished in the top 10 in the nation 11 times, including the No. 1 team in 2018.

In 2024, Clark and the LSU bars team finished the regular season ranked third in the country and spent 11 weeks in the top five in the country.

As a team, the Tigers achieved their highest National Qualifying Score (NQS) in program history this year (198.215). This is the first time they have surpassed an NQS of 198+.

Clark and the LSU Gymnastics team made history in 2024, but he’s not done yet. The future looks brighter than ever as Clark and the Tigers aim to make the program’s 33rd NCAA Championships appearance and third straight NCAA Finals appearance in 2025.

Stay up to date with all things LSU Gymnastics by following the team’s social media channels @LSUgym on Instagram, Twitter And Facebook.