Matthew Boling shattered his 400m personal best with a blistering 44.84 seconds at the 2024 US Olympic Trials — a jaw-dropping feat that left fans buzzing despite his heartbreaking 8th-place finish in the finals. While the “White Lightning” phenomenon first ignited in high school, his evolution into a world-class sprinter and long jumper hinges on one force: Caryl Smith-Gilbert, the trailblazing coach rewriting Georgia track history. But before talking about how their partnership is fueling Boling’s quest for global dominance, let’s take a closer look at the life and achievements of Caryl.
Meet Caryl Smith-Gilbert: Matthew Boling’ Coach
Caryl Smith-Gilbert isn’t just coaching Matthew Boling—she’s rewriting track history. When Georgia hired her in 2021, she smashed glass ceilings as the first woman ever to lead the school’s men’s program. And she didn’t just break barriers; she brought receipts. At UCF, she transformed a “non-BCS nobody” into an NCAA powerhouse, nabbing 5th place nationally—their best finish ever. Meanwhile, at USC, she stacked trophies: two NCAA women’s titles (2018, 2021) and a top-5 men’s national finish.
But her magic isn’t just in hardware—it’s in her relentless reinvention. A former UCLA sprint star and 3-time All-American, Smith-Gilbert obsesses over the microscopic details others ignore. When Boling hit a wall with inconsistent performances pre-2021, she overhauled his entire approach: slashing his chaotic event-hopping and laser-focusing his sprint training. “She sees everything—my stride, my lean, even how I breathe,” Boling admits. “Nothing gets past her.”
Caryl Smith-Gilbert Achievements And Career Highlights
Caryl Smith-Gilbert’s career is a masterclass in building dynasties. She’s snagged NCAA Coach of the Year twice (2018 and 2021) after steering USC’s women to national titles, racked up 14 top-10 NCAA team finishes across USC and UCF, even landing men’s and women’s squads on podiums simultaneously. Not to mention her Olympic pedigree: she mentored DeeDee Trotter to 400m bronze and 4x400m gold at London 2012, plus guided Tianna Madison to a 2005 long jump world title. And just this year? She detonated history at Georgia, delivering the women’s team their first-ever SEC outdoor title—a tectonic shift for the program.
Her secret? A ruthless “pressure cooker” philosophy. She recruits freaks like Matthew Boling and Christopher Morales Williams, then forges them in daily competitive chaos. “Iron sharpens iron,” she says, while obsessing over biometrics down to their sleep patterns. This isn’t coaching—it’s alchemy.
What Are Matthew Boling’s Achievements Under Caryl Smith-Gilbert?
Since teaming with coach Caryl Smith-Gilbert back in 2021, Matthew Boling’s gone from being a jack-of-all-trades track guy to a straight-up elite sprinter. With Smith-Gilbert in his corner, he snagged two NCAA Indoor 200m titles – 20.19 in ’21 and a killer school record 20.12 in ’23. He also cleaned up at the SECs, winning the indoor 60m and outdoor 200m. Oh, and he racked up a crazy 14 First-Team All-American honors in college. His big moment on the world stage came at the ’23 Worlds, where he brought the U.S. mixed 4x400m relay home with a blazing world record (3:08.80) and his first global gold.
Smith-Gilbert seriously leveled up his speed, shaving his 400m time down from 45.87 to a smoking 44.84 by 2024. She also helped him crush personal bests in five different events, like a 19.92 in the 200m and an indoor long jump of 8.25m – that’s top-10 all time! When he took a nasty fall at the ’24 Olympic Trials, Smith-Gilbert got him back on track fast, telling him straight up: “Forget chasing teams, you’re chasing history.” The real game-changer? She got him to ditch trying to do everything and zero in on the 200m, 400m, and kill it on relays. Bottom line? Going all-in on those events made him dominant.
With Olympic heartbreak fueling him, Matthew Boling and Caryl Smith-Gilbert are locked on Budapest 2025: targeting 400m podium redemption after his 44.84 breakthrough, anchoring Team USA’s 4x400m relay with his lethal 44.5 splits, and cementing Georgia’s legacy as Smith-Gilbert uses Boling’s rise to recruit “the next gen of sprinters who fear no event.” For Boling, she’s not just a coach—she’s the architect who transformed him from “viral teen” to world champion. And as Smith-Gilbert puts it: “Matthew’s ceiling? We haven’t touched it yet.”
The post Who Trains Matthew Boling? Everything to Know About the Mentor Behind His Success appeared first on EssentiallySports.