LSU Gold

Ashleigh Gnat Season 2025

LSU
Ashleigh Gnat
Title
Assistant Coach
Email
agnat1@lsu.edu
Phone
(225) 578-5050
Hometown
Lake Mary, Fla.
Alma Mater
LSU (2017)

2024 Region One Assistant Coach of the Year

Ashleigh Gnat, a 17-time All-American, four-time Southeastern Conference event champion and 2017 NCAA Floor Champion, enters her fifth season as an assistant coach for the LSU Gymnastics team in 2025.

A two-time graduate of LSU, Gnat primarily coaches the balance beam event. In 2024, she led the LSU beam squad to their highest NQS in program history, not to mention it was the final event to secure the Tiger’s first national championship title.

Gnat and the Tigers finished the year ranked No. 3 in the country on beam with an NQS of 49.530. It was the highest ranking since her arrival on staff.

The Tigers score of 49.7625 on beam in the Final Four was the highest finish on the event at the NCAA Championships in program history, while the LSU beam squad also earned the program’s second best score of 49.725 against Auburn on February 16th.

LSU spent seven straight weeks ranked amongst the nations top five beam squad’s under the supervision of Gnat in 2024, as well as one of the top beam performers in Konnor McClain.

Gnat earned Region One Assistant Coach of the Year honors, along with fellow assistant coaches Garrett Griffeth and Courtney McCool Griffeth, for their efforts on the year. 

In her first season, she and the beam squad finished ranked fifth in the country in 2022. Gnat coached the Tigers to another top 10 finish on beam in 2023 with a NQS of 49.415, good for 10th best in the nation.

The 2017 AAI Award winner remained in Baton Rouge for two seasons working on the staff as a graduate assistant. She learned every facet of the program from community service and marketing to equipment and travel. Gnat landed her first full-time position in 2019 as an assistant coach at Penn State.

Gnat made an immediate impact in State College working primarily with the floor lineup. The Nittany Lions totaled a 49.045 National Qualifying Score on floor with five scores above a 49.000, including a season-best 49.375.

During her six years in Baton Rouge, Gnat was a part of the most successful stretch of the program’s history. The Tigers set the three highest finishes in school history during Gnat’s time and won five SEC Championships.

She brings a wealth of experience as one of the best gymnasts in school history. Gnat led the Tigers inside and outside of the gym as LSU’s nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award and a finalist for the Honda Award.

Gnat set multiple records during her career in Baton Rouge, including the most floor titles in a single season and perfect scores in a career with nine. Gnat was the 2016 and 2017 SEC Specialist of the Year and Central Region Gymnast of the Year.

Gnat is the daughter of Ray and Joan Gnat. Ray competed for the LSU men’s gymnastics team and was an All-American. Joan was an Olympian on the 1972 U.S. National Team.