The regular season might be over, but the fire’s just getting started. Georgia gymnastics wrapped up 2025 with a third-place finish in the NCAA Washington Regional’s first session of round two. Hence, ending their postseason run and closing the books on a tough 6-15-1 record. Not exactly the fairytale ending anyone had hoped for. But if you thought fans were turning their backs on the Gymdogs, think again. Come on, they have Simone Biles’ former coach!

Yes—Cecile Landi! She officially took over as co-head coach at the University of Georgia in August 2024, and even though it’s only been 8 months, you can already see the impact she’s having. Turning a program around takes time, and while Georgia didn’t make it out of regionals this season, the signs of progress are there. Landi knows it too and shared her thoughts on this.

Inside Gym shared a post on Instagram with a photo of her and the team, quoting her words: “We are not ending the way we wanted and worked for. We are going to use this to fuel our work and get ready for the next year.” That’s the kind of fire and focus this team needs, and they’ve got it. Sure, the Bulldogs came up short, but they showed real flashes of potential.

On the floor, where sophomores Holly Snyder and Lily Smith both crushed a 9.925 to tie for first. Snyder also led the team on bars with a 9.900, while Ady Wahl matched that on vault. Beam, which has been their Achilles’ heel all season, still gave them trouble, but Ja’Free Scott and Anya Turner both pulled out solid 9.900s. So yes, they’ve got work to do, but there’s talent and promise all over this roster. But with Simone Biles’ former coach running the show and a crop of stellar recruits lined up, fans can feel something brewing.

Fans are rooting for the rise under Simone Biles’ former coach, Cecile Canqueteau-Landi

We all knew the University of Georgia gymnastics program was stepping into a new era when Cecile Canqueteau-Landi signed on for a five-year run, and honestly, the first season has already shown signs of life. Cecile, a former Olympic gymnast for France, isn’t exactly new to high-stakes gymnastics. Since 2017, she and her husband, Laurent Landi, have coached Simone Biles at the World Champions Center in Texas, helping Biles rack up more World titles and Olympic medals than most could dream of.

That’s why when she made the move to Georgia, it came with expectations. But it also brought the understanding that real change doesn’t happen overnight. One fan put it best, saying, “Tbh, this is the first season under new leadership, and postseason is kind of a different ballgame with different sorts of pressures—even if not from your coaches, then from yourself and the public. I don’t know if anyone knew how the team would react to the postseason in the current circumstances, and now they do. I would not yet throw in the towel. If this is an issue a few years from now, then it’s different.” That’s the thing—this year wasn’t just about results.

No, it was about finding out where the team stands under Cecile’s leadership. And clearly, they’re starting to respond. Another fan echoed that same patience, saying, “Cecile demanded a 5-year contract for the job because that’s how long it takes to have a team that is completely ‘hers.’ A first-year coach has so little control over the athletes recruited, the physical prep from the off season, etc. Roberts had seemed to help with some of those things over the last two years, but it just takes TIME. I think you need at least three years to really judge.”

And they’ve got a point. Year one is laying the foundation. Cecile’s already made an impact, and if history tells us anything, the best is still to come for the GymDogs. Georgia might not be front and center in NCAA gymnastics right now, but if you know the program’s history, you know it doesn’t take much to light that spark again. We’re talking ten national titles, sixteen SEC championships, and a legacy that once dominated the sport.

Sure, they haven’t hit that level in a while—the last national title came back in 2009, and while they made the NCAA Championships in 2018 and reached the semifinals in 2019, it’s been tough getting over that hump. But now? With Cecile Canqueteau-Landi in charge, things are starting to feel different. Fans are already picking up on it.

One said, “Cecile is completely new to NCAA; I give her a break this season. I think her power to recruit will tremendously impact the quality of this team moving forward, as well as having a healthy roster. Here’s hoping🙏🙏🙏.” Another fan added, “Honestly, I didn’t expect Georgia to do nearly as well as they did this season… and I think as their coaches get better at the nuances of coaching NCAA and they start recruiting, that Georgia is going to be a legit contender (I mean… Simone’s former coach! Come on!).”

Yeah, that part can’t be overlooked. She coached Simone Biles. That’s not just a resume booster—that’s experience you can’t teach. And hey, the fan base is fired up for what’s next. Someone summed it up perfectly: “Let’s Go Dawgs! Looking forward to next year! ❤️🖤.” Georgia might not be back yet, but give it a little time. With Cecile calling the shots, a healthy roster, and strong recruiting, don’t be surprised if the GymDogs start biting back real soon.