This past weekend Caryl Smith Gilbert led USC to another outstanding performance at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor National Track and Field Championship. The Lady Trojans finished first and the men took fifth.
After celebrating, the eight-year Director of Men and Women’s Track and Field at USC became the former Director at USC.
On Sunday, coach Caryl Smith Gilbert was named Georgia’s Director of Men’s and Women’s Track and Field. She also made history as she will be the first woman head coach of a men’s program in Georgia athletics history.
“I am thankful for the opportunity to lead the University of Georgia’s Cross Country and Track & Field program,” said Smith Gilbert in a statement. “Georgia combines elite athletics and academics with outstanding leadership, in a premier athletics conference. When I spoke to Josh [Brooks], I was immediately impressed with his vision and passion for Georgia Athletics and track and field. I’m thankful to President Morehead and Josh for leading the way, and opening doors for women and particularly women of color. It’s an honor to be Georgia’s first female head coach of a men’s sport. I firmly believe we can continue to build upon UGA’s strong program and compete for and win SEC and National Championships. I am excited to get started in Athens.”
Bulldogs athletic director Josh Brooks was eccstatic about the hire.
“It is a great day to be a Bulldog,” said Brooks. “I am thrilled to welcome Caryl Smith Gilbert to the University of Georgia. She is a phenomenal coach, skilled motivator and strong leader who will make our entire program better. Caryl exudes energy and passion that resonates with student-athletes, recruits and colleagues. At UGA we aim to win championships in every sport, and she leads and coaches with the integrity, tenacity and toughness that aligns perfectly with our mission.”
Smith Gilbert spent the last eight years building the Trojans into a national powerhouse. This was the women’s second outdoor national title in the last three years and the men’s fourth top-five finish in seven years. In 2018, after leading the men’s team to a second-place finish at the NCAA indoor championships and the women’s team to an NCAA outdoor title, she was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Women’s National Coach of the Year.
USC was appreciative of all Smith Gilbert did during her tenure with the Trojans.
We hold Caryl and her family in the highest regard, and we wish them all the best moving forward,” said USC Athletic Director Mike Bohn in a statement.
Her historical move to Georgia is not the first time that Smith Gilbert made sports history. In 2015, she was the first woman to earn the Pac-12 Men’s Coach of the Year honor.
“I am so appreciative of having had the opportunity to be a part of such a storied program at USC,” said Smith Gilbert. “I will always be grateful not only to USC, but to former athletic director Pat Haden for giving me the opportunity to become one of the few women to lead a Power 5 men’s and women’s track and field program. None of our historic success would have been possible without the loving support of the amazing staff, athletes, coaches, faculty and administration. As coaches we understand that change is part of our journey. It is with much love, appreciation, admiration and gratitude that I move on from USC. I will be forever grateful to everyone in the USC family for all that you have done and continue to do for my family and myself.”
Now she has the opportunity to elevate a strong Georgia program over powerhouses like SEC rival LSU. And she has a talented core of athletes to accomplish this task with.
The team had seven All Americans this season. At this year’s Outdoor Championships, Matthew Boling and the men’s team finished eighth while Jasmine Moore and the women took third.
Caryl Smith Gilbert is a track star herself. A 1991 graduate of UCLA, she was a three-time All-American and Pac-10 champion in the 100-meter dash, 4×100-meter relay, and the 4×400-meter relay for the Bruins.
Now she’s also a two-time history maker. Congrats coach!
