ASU Gymnastics: Rene Lyst fired as head coach, national coaching search underway

(Photo: Gabrielle Mercer/WCSN)

Arizona State University athletic director Ray Anderson has fired Rene Lyst from her role as head coach of ASU gymnastics, as Jeff Metcalfe of The Arizona Republic first reported.

Lyst led the Sun Devils to just three wins in her two year tenure.  Arizona State finished at the bottom of the Pac-12 standings in each of the last two years and came in last at the Pac-12 Championships in 2015 and 2016.

Lyst was hired in May of 2014 after 34 year coach John Spini retired.  Lyst was the co-head coach of the University of Arkansas for 13 years and helped to build that program from scratch.

Prior to ASU’s final home meet against Penn State on March 4, Cronkite Sports learned that Lyst was placed on indefinite administrative leave.  Anderson said in a statement that Lyst was fired under the termination without cause provision in her contract.

“Ralph Rosso will serve as interim head coach and we will conduct a national search for a new head coach that is the best fit for our program, university and community,” Anderson said.

Rosso took over as interim head coach for ASU’s meet against Penn State as well as the Pac-12 Championships in Seattle on March 19.  He also traveled to the NCAA regionals in Tuscaloosa, Ala. and NCAA Championships in Fort Worth, Texas with Taylor Allex, who qualified to compete on vault at both meets.

Lyst was making an annual salary of $135,000 and was Anderson’s second hire after taking over as ASU’s athletic director.

You can contact Tyler Paley via e-mail or on Twitter @TylerPaley

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