Months after ending collegiate career, Haleigh Bryant set for unexpected LSU Tigers comeback

2024 LSU Archive - Source: Getty
Haleigh Bryant set for unexpected LSU Tigers comeback. Source: Getty

Haleigh Bryant will be taking charge of the LSU Tigers gymnastics team, not as an athlete, but in a new role. Bryant’s collegiate career ended after the 2025 NCAA Championship semifinals, where the LSU gymnastics team finished behind Utah (197.7625) and UCLA (197.7375), placing third with a score of 197.5250.

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With that, Bryant’s hopes of leading LSU to a second consecutive NCAA Championship title came to an end. In the 2024 season, she had played a crucial role in the team’s victory at the NCAA Championship, where LSU claimed the title with 198.2250 points, finishing ahead of California, Utah, and Florida.

However, Haleigh Bryant is now back with the LSU Tigers gymnastics team, this time as part of the coaching staff. She has been appointed as the team’s new assistant coach.

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The LSU gymnastics team announced the news on social media (both Instagram and X), thus building anticipation among fans even with the next season still far away. The post was captioned:

“The LSU Legend is staying home 🙌 We’re proud to announce the addition of Haleigh Bryant to the staff as Assistant Coach!”
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This comes after former assistant coach Ashleigh Gnat announced her departure from the program in an Instagram post by expressing her intention to ‘pursue personal goals and new opportunities’.


Haleigh Bryant opened up about coaching aspirations during her final year as LSU gymnast

Haleigh Bryant during the SEC Women's Gymnastics Championships 2025 (Photo: Getty Images)
Haleigh Bryant during the SEC Women's Gymnastics Championships 2025 (Photo: Getty Images)

Haleigh Bryant shared her thoughts on potentially becoming a coach while still in her final year competing for the LSU Tigers. In a March 2025 interview with Olympics.com, she reflected on how the idea of coaching grew on her, especially after being sidelined due to an injury.

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“I would love to coach one day. After [the injury] happened, I was like, 'This could be a great opportunity to see gymnastics from a different perspective'. It was cool just seeing what the coaches do each day, and I think it was really cool to kind of learn for a couple of weeks that I wasn’t doing anything on that side of gymnastics. It was a blessing and a curse.”
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Bryant also spoke about her role as a team leader, focusing on supporting and guiding her teammates mentally and emotionally, recognizing their individual needs and helping foster a team environment where everyone developed their own leadership qualities.

Notably, Bryant experienced an elbow injury pre-season while executing a vault at LSU’s gymnastics 101 exhibition meet on December 16, 2024. She returned to competitions at the annual Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad on January 11, 2025.

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Edited by Abhiruchi Rout
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