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Logan • Amy Smith has been named the head gymnastics coach at Utah State University, the school announced Monday.
Smith replaces Nadalie Walsh, who is the new gymnastics coach at Illinois.
"The combination of her experience and success, both as a student-athlete — winning a national championship at UCLA — and as a coach, whether it was at UCLA, Florida, Missouri or North Carolina, clearly in her progression as a coach, she is ready to take over a program of her own," USU athletic director John Hartwell said in a statement. "We have a proud and successful tradition within our gymnastics program at Utah State and with her addition, she can take us to new levels of success."
Smith joins the Aggies after spending the past five seasons at North Carolina. She was promoted to associate head coach in 2014. In all, Smith brings 16 years of coaching experience with her to Utah State.
"It is such a great honor to become the Aggies' fourth head coach in the history of the program," Smith said in a statement. "Everyone in the athletics department was fantastic and I loved feeling everyone's sense of Aggie pride throughout the interview process. I am so thrilled and grateful that athletics director John Hartwell and [deputy athletic director] Jana Doggett have entrusted in me with this great opportunity and honor to lead the Aggie gymnastics team.
"Coach Walsh did a great job putting this team on the right track during her tenure and now it is time to take them to the next level. I was so inspired by the competitive drive of this team in the short amount of time that I spent with them and that made me incredibly excited about the future of this program. I cannot wait to get to Logan and get started."
During her time at North Carolina, Smith played an instrumental role in developing some of the Tar Heels' top all-arounders in recent memory. Elizabeth Durkac was named the 2013 East Atlantic Gymnastics League co-Gymnast of the Year and Haley Watts was tabbed the 2015 EAGL Senior of the Year.
Smith capped her time at UNC by being tabbed the 2017 EAGL Assistant Coach of the Year, while Morgan Lane and Khazia Hislop were tabbed the conference's Gymnast of the Year and Rookie of the Year, respectively.