“We’re fired up to have Amy Smith lead our women’s gymnastics program. She understands what it takes to win a national championship, and her experience within the ACC, SEC, and PAC-12 really stand out.” These were the words of Clemson AD Graham Neff back in 2022. And fired up, they were. A UCLA All-American and National Champion, Smith brought swagger, experience, and belief to a brand-new program. In just two seasons, she led Clemson Gymnastics to back-to-back NCAA Championship appearances, finishing second in the ACC in 2024! Not bad for a debut coach, right? But then came 2025! A fifth-place ACC finish. Impressive. Fast forward to April 18: there is news no one saw coming, and it has led the gymnastics community to go searching for answers. WHAT?

The latest development has seen Clemson University parting ways with Amy Smith, the inaugural head coach of its women’s gymnastics program. Director of Athletics Graham Neff confirmed the decision in a surprising development for a program that had shown steady progress in its first two seasons of competition, and the latest season has a bit of history as well.

The Tigers had a respectable showing in their 2025 campaign with a fourth place in the NCAA Alabama Regional with a team score of 195.875, which was also their first-ever NCAA Regional win and was a milestone for such a young team. And let’s not forget junior Brie Clark, an All-ACC honoree on the floor and the first Tiger gymnast to clinch back-to-back conference honors. These weren’t signs of a failing program.

Sure, Smith had history: she had her first head coaching gig at Utah State from 2017 to 2022. Before that, she was an assistant at North Carolina and UCLA and even had stints at Florida, Missouri, and Kentucky. But in 2023, she had serious allegations against her. A Washington Post article surfaced, painting a disturbing picture from her previous roles, allegations like fostering “a culture of disordered eating,” and verbal mistreatment of gymnasts. At the time, Clemson and Neff stood by her. Now?

There is a press release. The university has not released details regarding the reasons behind Smith’s departure, but the abrupt nature of the announcement has led to speculation within the gymnastics community, and they have gone full detective.

Fans go into detective mode after the abrupt departure of Clemson’s Gymnastics coach Amy Smith

Following Clemson University’s announcement of Amy Smith’s sudden exit as the women’s gymnastics head coach has led social media and the gymnastics community to search for answers. A post shared by the gymnastics community on Reddit was doing the same after Amy Smith’s departure. The tone across the gymnastics community was one of curiosity, concern, and What’s next?

The abrupt nature of Smith’s exit has sparked widespread speculation. Some started by pointing out what they felt were red flags. One user wrote, “The choreography was the final straw.” And the other one wrote, “please let this mean that their choreography will get better.” Clemson ended up being ranked 29th overall this season and 22nd on the floor.

The highest score on the floor was registered by Brie Clark and Eve Jackson, both of whom scored 9.950. And both of them scored only on one occasion out of their thirteen appearances in the apparatus. Also, Brie is the gymnast who performed Biles I for the first time in NCAA history. So whether Amy’s choreography is questionable or not is open for debate.

Others turned their attention to what comes next for the Tigers. “Who do we think Clemson will try to target for the position?” a fan asked, referencing a Facebook post that suggested Clemson leans toward coaches with a strong track record.

“I can’t think of any head coach who’d leave their current program, though,” they added, raising doubts about immediate replacements.  And finally, a post that summed up the uncertainty many felt: “Damnnnn. Something must have gone down. I hope all the athletes are feeling heard and safe, whatever it is.”  No one has the answer as to what actually led to the departure, but the strings of speculations seem to not end anytime soon.