The historical significance of the hire of Caryl Smith Gilbert for Georgia track

The opportunity arose early in the spring for Josh Brooks to select a new leader for a Georgia program that rests close to his heart. He had lofty aspirations for his first external coaching hire in the sixth month as athletic director, and he wanted to take a big swing, go for the deep ball or shoot for the moon — choose any cliché you desire.

Georgia’s track-and-field program needed a change.

The contract of former coach Petros Kyprianou, who hoisted two national championship trophies with the Bulldogs, expires on Wednesday, June 30. Talks to extend his tenure past six seasons were halted after concerns around program facilities. Brooks looked far and wide for Kyprianou’s successor, and played an aggressive game.

There’s always a risk when embarking on a bold pursuit. Maybe Brooks dispelled the saying, however, because the rookie athletic director never planned on missing his swing. He took every step to ensure it wouldn’t happen.

“It was important to me that we go all in,” Brooks said. “I went for the best coach in the country. There weren’t going to be any excuses.”

He went thousands of miles away to Los Angeles to make his hire. Brooks wanted another coach with a legacy of national titles, and Caryl Smith Gilbert became his target to pry away from the University of Southern California.

Without ever meeting in person and conducting the entire process through a virtual medium, the Bulldogs found their match. Smith Gilbert had a gradually intensifying desire to return to the SEC after stints as an assistant coach at Alabama and Tennessee, and saw a window for more titles at Georgia.

The initiation of Smith Gilbert at Georgia is more than a new beginning. It’s history. It’s a moment that enhances diversity within the athletic program. Smith Gilbert is the first woman in school history to lead a men’s program. She’s also only the second Black active coach at Georgia, joining women’s basketball coach Joni Taylor, who took over the role of long-time coach Andy Landers in 2015.

Before Kyprianou, Wayne Norton coached Georgia track and field. He was the only active Black head coach at the university before Taylor’s hire.

“It’s a very historical moment. I commend President (Jere) Morehead and Josh for bringing me in to be a part of this trailblazing opportunity,” Smith Gilbert said. “I’m excited about it because it’s an opportunity to open more doors so athletic directors, staffs and universities can see the success we can have.

“I don’t want to be termed as the best female coach or the best Black female coach. I want to be the greatest coach of all time. If I’m not afforded the opportunity, that will never happen.”

When Georgia made the transition from Greg McGarity to Brooks in December, the Bulldogs had only three Black people in leadership positions throughout the athletic department — Taylor, Melvin Robinson (assistant athletic director for facility operations) and Darrice Griffin (deputy director of athletic administration at the time).

Brooks enhanced Georgia’s culture of inclusivity from the moment he took the reins. He didn’t do it to check a box. He didn’t hire based on a diversity quota. It came from a desire to hire from the highest echelon of candidates.

Brooks promoted Griffin to senior deputy director of athletics in tandem with his promotion to athletic director. Courtney Gay assumed a role as director of diversity, equity and inclusion after eight years in the Rankin Smith Student-Athlete Academic Center. One of Brooks’ first external hires came in March when Georgia added Darlene Camacho as the senior athletic director for strategic communications after serving in a similar position at Texas.

The biggest move, hiring Smith Gilbert, made program history and gave Brooks an immense amount of pride. She created the next step of legacy in the track-and-field program, much like her mentor Gwen Torrence, who was the first African-American woman to win an NCAA title at Georgia. Torrence won the 55-meter dash in the 1986 outdoor championships.

“If you don’t think in one small category, you see there are a lot of talented females and females of color,” Brooks said. “It’s a byproduct of looking for the best people, but I’m proud that we are blazing trails. I’m proud of the women we’ve brought in here and the example they’re setting. My mission is to bring in the best people and that’s how it worked out.”

Georgia won’t stop at diverse hires to work toward making a difference in areas of need. Brooks wants to continue his quest toward prosperity by helping “build the pool.” He wants to work with Smith Gilbert to build the next generation of trailblazers and boost the confidence of young men and women among minorities.

Not only did Smith Gilbert want to show women the numerous possibilities of succeeding in sports, but also setting an example for men. She hopes for others, like Brooks, to feel comfortable adding Black women to positions of power.

“This is a complete change in UGA track culture,” said departing pole vaulter Kayla Smith. “It will shift (the program) to be stronger than it has ever been. This shows that Black women are getting the opportunities they deserve to lead and make their mark on the world. So many people have tried to squash that.”

Smith Gilbert’s hire is another testament to increased representation across the SEC. Black women in Division I athletics take pride in supporting others who faced the same challenges in their rise to head coaching positions. Taylor has long been Georgia’s brightest example of supporting peers in minorities as six of the conference’s 14 women’s basketball coaches are Black women. There’s now another coach setting examples down the street from the basketball offices.

“I am absolutely thrilled to welcome Caryl Smith Gilbert to the Bulldog family,” Taylor told The Telegraph. “She is a proven champion, a trailblazer and an outstanding role model for so many young women and men. There is no doubt she will continue to build an elite program here in Athens.”

Brooks needed to make a statement with his first hire, and he validated that by adding one of the country’s most-prestigious coaches. The opening chapter of Smith Gilbert’s Georgia legacy begins on Thursday, July 1.

Brooks wants championships. He joked that he’d pursue one in badminton if the Bulldogs had a 22nd program, but he also meant it. He holds a special attachment to track and field, too, as he used to serve exclusively with the program and has children who run track in Clarke County.

He wants more trophies, so Georgia didn’t have a choice. No excuses. That approach led to history.

“I can’t think of a better person in the country I want leading our program,” Brooks said. “We know we can win multiple (titles) under her leadership.”