D-D Breaux has always said it takes a village.
Her use of the idiom stems from the LSU gymnastics coach’s belief that a head coach can’t win a national championship alone. Breaux said carefully coordinated synergy among every member of a coaching staff is necessary to produce significant results, and that’s just what the Tigers have.
LSU has risen to No. 3 nationally and has increased its average scores from last season in all four events. The Tigers boast two top-10 all-around performers and two top-three performers on individual events, and the consistent message of LSU’s coaching staff is bleeding through in every performance.
“It is a firm message,” Breaux said. “There’s no doubt that when you come in, we’re going to work, have an assignment and be organized. We’re going to take it to the end, and we’re going to finish it.”
Breaux is joined by associate head coach Jay Clark, who specializes in uneven bars, vault coach Bob Moore and volunteer coach and former LSU gymnast Ashleigh Clare-Kearney. The foursome has 89 years of combined collegiate coaching experience.
While each coach offers expertise in specific events and brings a dynamic personality to the gym, the staff quickly found a harmony that brings out the best in the Tigers.
“You have to have a balance in personalities, and I think we have that,” Clark said. “Every coaching staff has to have that ‘the buck stops here’ person, which is obviously D-D. The team is always going to adopt the personality of the head coach. She’s a fighter and she’s tenacious, and that’s the personality of this team.”
Clark left his head coach position at Georgia, his alma mater, in 2012 in the wake of undisclosed circumstances. Breaux said she knew there would be changes at Georgia, and LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva gave her permission to aggressively pursue Clark.
But Clark and his family deliberated the move to Baton Rouge, and Clark said he felt he needed to fully buy into the LSU brand and community before he could effectively recruit. After a visit to campus with his wife, who is from Mandeville, Clark was sold on what LSU had to offer.
“I wasn’t sure at the time that I was even going to coach again,” Clark said. “I knew that if I was going to coach, [LSU] was the most obvious and best opportunity that was going to be presented to me.”
Clark instantly integrated into the program as the coaching staff effortlessly meshed. Breaux and Moore had met Clark while he was still at Georgia at conventions and Southeastern Conference coaches’ meetings, so their personal relationships helped their professional ones flourish.
Breaux runs her staff with a balance of power, allowing Clark to manage recruiting and Moore to monitor academic progress of the gymnasts. Clark said he is “almost uncomfortable” with the authority he has because of his firm belief in hierarchy.
“D-D came into my office one day and closed the door and said, ‘I brought you here because I want your opinion on things. Don’t be afraid to say what you feel,’” Clark said.
Clark said he can be a fiery coach, but he’s not as demonstrative as Breaux and Moore can be during meets. Clark’s presence positively alters the team dynamic and helps Breaux relax, according to junior all-arounder Jessie Jordan.
“We’re not afraid to let the other people be themselves,” Moore said. “That’s an important thing to me, and much to D-D’s credit, she gives us a lot of latitude to make decisions and to act on them.”
Breaux’s village doesn’t end with her gymnasts and coaching staff. Breaux, Clark and Moore meet every Monday with the Tigers’ trainer, nutritionist, strength coach and academic adviser to turn out the best product LSU can offer.
“The biggest thing we’ve really done well this year is create a village, a really tight village,” Breaux said. “That has been the biggest difference over the span of time. It has developed from last year to this year as a galvanized staff and unit that really works well together.”