Suspended Gymnastics Coach a State Alumnus

Maggie Haney, the coach suspended last week by USA Gymnastics for alleged emotional verbal and emotional abuse of her athletes, is a former NC State gymnast

Former NC State gymnast Maggie Haney, coach of Olympic and world champions, has been suspended by USA Gymnastics over charges that she verbally and emotionally abused her athletes.

At a hearing last week, an independent panel found that Haney violated USA Gymnastics' code of ethical conduct among other policies. She has been suspended from coaching any athletes or in member clubs for eight years.

Details of the allegations against Haney were not publicly released. But according to a published report by the Orange County (Calif.) Register, several of her gymnasts testifed at a hearing that she bullied and harrassed them, aand forced them to compete or train while injured.

Among those testifying, according to the Register, was Laurie Hernandez -- a member of the U.S. team that won a gold medal at the 2016 Olympics and an individual silver medalist on the balance beam.

"This kind of behavior and treatment is never okay," Hernandez wrote on her Instagram account. "There are some things from my experience that will unfortunately stick with me forever, and I'll always be working to heal from it -- but sharing my story gives me a chance to close the chapter, take a breath, and start something new."

Haney is also the coach of World champion Riley McCusker, considered a contender for several medals at the delayed Tokyo Olympics.

Haney was a standout gymnast for the Wolfpack between 1997-2000. She is still the only NC State gymnast to record a perfect 10 in two events -- in 1999 on the balance beam and the following year on floor exercise. In 1998, she helped her team qualify for the NCAA Championships for the first and only time in school history.