The torch goes from a legend to an icon
Less than a day after Ashleigh Gnat announced she’d be stepping down as assistant coach, the LSU gymnastics program has announced her replacement: Haleigh Bryant. The greatest gymnast, and perhaps athlete, in LSU history expressed interest in coaching in multiple interviews. Now she’ll step into one of the toughest roles in the country.
Haleigh’s career is littered with accolades. She was a two-time individual national champion, a leader on the 2024 NCAA championship squad, a 33-time All-American (LSU record), the 2024 AAI Award winner, the 2024 Honda Award winner for gymnastics, a top five finisher for the Honda Cup (awarded to the best women’s athlete in all sports), a five-time SEC individual champion, a two-time SEC team champion, the 2021 SEC Freshman of the Year, the 2024 SEC Gymnast of the Year, the 2021 and 2023 Central Region Gymnast of the Year, the LSU program record holder in the all-around with a 39.925, and the LSU leader in career perfect 10s with 18.
While someone going straight from athlete to assistant coach may be unusual in other sports, it’s far more common in gymnastics. One notable example in the SEC is Raena Worley earning a job on Kentucky’s staff as soon as her gymnastics career was over. Details about Haleigh’s contract have not been released yet.