The Landi Era: Why the GymDogs Are Now the Team to Watch

When we found out Cécile Landi was taking over as the head coach at UGA, everyone knew big changes were coming. But now that Laurent Landi is officially joining her in Athens as the Associate Head Coach? It’s over. The GymDogs aren't just trying to fix their program—they are playing for a national championship.

An Unmatched Coaching Lineup

As a college student who also judges and coaches the sport, looking at this new staff is actually insane. Laurent Landi, Cécile Landi, Brenna Brooks, and Megan Haught. Georgia has ten national titles, and watching them make it to the National Championship Semi-Final last season was amazing. By adding Laurent alongside Megan Haught and Brenna Brooks, Georgia just put together the most technical, high-energy coaching staff college gym has ever seen.

The Landi Impact: Elevating the Bars

We all know Cécile and Laurent as the legendary duo who coached Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles to Olympic gold. But seeing Laurent coach in the NCAA for the first time is going to change everything, especially on uneven bars.

In college gym, team titles are literally won or lost by half a tenth. Having an elite mastermind in the gym means Georgia's bars lineup is about to get so much cleaner. From a judge's perspective, here is exactly why they’re going to be terrifying:

• Precision Handstands: Laurent is famous for his handstand drills. In NCAA, if you are even a tiny bit short on a cast or a giant, that's an automatic 0.05 deduction. Georgia is about to string together endless 9.95s and 10.0s because their lines are going to be flawless.

• Technique and Power: His technique for tap swings is unmatched. These girls are going to catch their release moves with so much height and power that judges won't even be able to find a deduction if they tried.

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Proven Chemistry and Tradition

What makes this staff even cooler is how full-circle it is. Assistant coach Megan Haught (Dowlen) is a former GymDog who won four straight National Championships back in the day (2005-2008). She knows exactly what real GymDog culture looks like at its absolute peak. Plus, she spent nearly ten years coaching with Cécile at WOGA, and new assistant Brenna Brooks actually trained under them there.

Because this whole staff already speaks the exact same coaching language, their chemistry is going to be unmatched. When you combine world-class Olympic technique with a coach who has championship Georgia roots, plus the fact that elite superstar Joscelyn Roberson just transferred in—everything is clicking fast.