Chris Waller resigns after three years as UCLA gymnastics coach

UCLA gymnastics coach Chris Waller is resigning efficient instantly, the varsity introduced Tuesday, bringing his three-year tenure to an abrupt finish.

Waller’s contract was set to finish June 30. UCLA mentioned it’s going to conduct a nationwide search to discover a substitute to steer the favored gymnastics program after the Bruins didn’t qualify for the NCAA championships as a workforce for 2 consecutive years for the primary time in program historical past.

Waller was an assistant underneath former head coach Valorie Kondos Subject for 17 years earlier than ascending to the highest spot in 2019. He was an NCAA champion as a gymnast and competed within the 1992 Olympics, advancing to the all-around closing and ending fifth within the pommel horse.

Though he took over the UCLA program on the top of its reputation following a 2018 nationwide championship and a viral ground routine in 2019 from Katelyn Ohashi, Waller’s head teaching tenure has been tumultuous. His first season ended out of the blue due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The next yr, greater than half of his top-ranked freshman class was vying for Olympic spots through the coronavirus-delayed Tokyo Video games. Regardless of extra viral ground routines from Nia Dennis and Margzetta Frazier that elevated UCLA’s model of joyful and inclusive gymnastics amid the nationwide dialog about social justice, the Bruins had been short-handed and missed the NCAA championships for the primary time since 2006.

UCLA seemed to be poised for a bounce-back yr with elite stars like Olympic silver medalist Jordan Chiles, all-around finalist Brooklyn Moors and Olympic alternate Emma Malabuyo. However a preseason incident involving a former workforce member utilizing racist language triggered a rift between coaches and a few gymnasts that lingered by the season.

The Instances reported that gymnasts had been annoyed with Waller and the teaching workers after they prioritized the psychological well being of a non-Black teammate over considerations from Black gymnasts who requested her to not use racial slurs, together with the N-word, even whereas singing lyrics. The incident prompted conferences with consultants inside and outdoors of the athletic division that continued after the teammate had transferred.

The stress led the Bruins to their worst rating in seven years after they opened the season in Minnesota with a 194.85. They discovered their rhythm late within the season, together with a 198.05 towards California at residence that was their highest rating since 2019, however missed the NCAA championship lower by 0.025.

When Waller, UCLA’s longest tenured assistant underneath Kondos Subject, took over the pinnacle teaching place, the remaining assistants additionally obtained head teaching jobs. Former assistant Randy Lane turned the inaugural ladies’s coach at Lengthy Island College, the place he employed former UCLA gymnast Hallie Mossett as an assistant. Former UCLA volunteer assistant Jordyn Wieber is the pinnacle coach at Arkansas, the place she has former UCLA gymnasts Felicia Hano and Kyla Ross on her teaching workers.

“With the ability to coach at my alma mater was an honor and a privilege,” Waller mentioned in a UCLA information launch. “… I’ll at all times cherish the relationships I’ve constructed with the student-athletes, fellow coaches and workers, and l want the perfect for this workforce.”