UGA fires Durante after five seasons

Georgia has decided to part ways with gymnastics head coach Danna Durante.

Georgia athletics director Greg McGarity announced the decision Tuesday morning in a release. Durante has been at the helm of the gymnastics program for the past five seasons.

The Red & Black was the first to report Durante's firing late Monday evening.

“We will move forward with a national search as quickly as possible to fill the head coaching position for our gymnastics team,” McGarity said.

With Durante out, Georgia will seek to find its third head coach in an eight-year span. For the nationally respected program with 10 total NCAA championships, it hasn't been able to live up to the level established under former gymnastics head coach Suzanne Yoculan, who spent a total of 26 seasons leading Georgia.

Following Yoculan's retirement after the 2009 season, which ended in Georgia's 10th national championship, Jay Clark took over as head coach for a tenure that lasted only three years before his contract was terminated. Under Durante, previously at California before being hired by McGarity, Georgia's highest NCAA finish was fifth. Durante led the Gym Dogs to three Super Six appearances over five years but only one in the past three.

This season, the Gym Dogs finished 12th at the NCAA Championships in St. Louis.

Durante's ouster marks the second time McGarity has fired a head coach he hired. The first was former volleyball head coach Lizzy Stemke, who was dismissed in December in what the athletics program dubbed a resignation. Stemke was replaced by former Loyola Marymount volleyball head coach Tom Black.

This story was originally published April 25, 2017 at 8:22 AM with the headline "UGA fires Durante after five seasons ."