“A new head coach is officially great”: Chris Waller resigns as UCLA Gymnastics head coach after fruitful career

“A new head coach is officially great”: Chris Waller resigns as UCLA Gymnastics head coach after fruitful career

Chris Waller

After a long career, Chris Waller has finally retired out of Westwood. The UCLA Gymnastics coach announced his resignation on Tuesday effective immediately, after citing pursuit of taking up new employment opportunities.

Heading the Bruins, Waller has failed to lead the team into the NCAA finals for three straight years, especially after the had already made it in the previous four years. Waller took over for Valorie Kondos Field after the 2019 after being one of her assistants for 17 years. “UCLA Gymnastics has been a huge part of my life for the last 35 years,” Waller said to si.com.

Chris Waller to resign as head coach of UCLA Gymnastics team

Chris Waller
Chris Waller

Walker talked about his privilege to coach their alma matter. He said that he will cherish the relationships that he has built over the years, and his experience has been a fantastic one. “I am thankful to have had the opportunity to coach so many incredible women who have been a part of this special program. I will always cherish the relationships I’ve built with the student-athletes, fellow coaches and staff, and l wish the very best for this team.”

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Waller was a four-time All-American who led the Bruins to the 1987 NCAA championship. Unfortunately, Waller was unable to keep up UCLA’s stint as head coach, making the team fail to reach the finals over the last three years. This can be credited to the pandemic as well, leaving the coaching years rather unfinished.

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