Danna Durante New Georgia HC

[momofagymmie]

Cal's head coach, Danna Durante is moving to Georgia!

 

[wandrewsjr]

Wow - hasn't she only been at Cal for one year?

 

[3rd_time_around]

I'm not trying to sound negative, but I read that her team has never cracked the top 12, so how will she have more success than Clark who was the recruiter all those years that Georgia was a powerhouse, and assistant coach for so long, and actually did pretty well post-Kupets/Yoculan era? I don't see it, and she will probably need about 5 years to get the program where it once was. I'll never understand the thinking of the powers-that-be, I guess.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

she was there for only 1 season. she rejuvenated a program that CD completely ruined. Danna was also an awesome gymnast in her own right back in the day. was coached by kristi kraft. she'll do great at georgia.

 

[wandrewsjr]

Feel bad for Cal. Don't coaches sign contracts to stay for a certain period of time? Any word on what will happen there?

 

[Empowered]

My money is on Justin Howell to take over.

 

[bookworm]

Feel bad for Cal. Don't coaches sign contracts to stay for a certain period of time? Any word on what will happen there?

Yes they do...and I believe Jay Clark had a contract for 5 years, so it works both ways... Hopefully the Georgia AD will be patient will Durante but I will admit, I never even thought of her as a replacement there...

 

[wandrewsjr]

My money is on Justin Howell to take over.

Hmm...any chance Cal could woo Liz away too? Those 2 could really do something with that program.

 

[Empowered]

I think that's the million dollar question in quite a few parents minds at a certain gym right now. Many have felt that as soon as he could bring her on he would. It'd be a hell of a blow to that gym though...

 

[Deleted member D3987]

i think Liz will go...

 

[wandrewsjr]

Was talking about this situation with a colleague, and he said something to the affect of, "Some people are great at coaching kids, but can't coach adults." Got me thinking. Coaching 15-20 young adult women, bringing them together as a team, who have all been trainined by different coaches, different techniques, some who may have been with the same coach for more than a decade, got to be the toughest job in gymnastics. Any thoughts?

 

[Empowered]

I honestly don't know how the college coaches do it. In addition to all that you've mentioned above, you've also got to deal with the fact that these girls are now at college, alone... many of them for the first time in their lives. I know coaches have a love/hate relationship with parents, but let's face it when girls are young it's the parents making sure they show up to the gym prepared, rested, fed and ready to go for practice. Now it's up to the girls to do it for themselves. Given gymnasts are likely to be more focused than some other college athletes, but they aren't immune to the influences of the college environment.

So coupling together all the potential "in gym" issues and the potentional "out of gym" issues and creating a cohesive and successful college team... Hell my hat is off to anyone who can do that!