Central Michigan places gymnastics coach Jerry Reighard on paid leave

Central Michigan gymnastics coach Jerry Reighard has been placed on paid administrative leave, the school announced on Wednesday.

The school is conducting an internal investigation, though the nature of which is not known.

Associated head coach Christine MacDonald will lead the team in Reighard's absence. CMU is atop the conference standings at 10-1 (3-0 MAC).

Reighard has been the head coach at CMU since 1984 and has won 16 MAC championships. He is a nine-time MAC coach of the year. He began his coaching career as a grad assistant in 1975 and then shifted to coaching gymnastics at Ionia High School until he got the head coach job at his alma mater in 1984. 

The Westland native has been a nationally rated judge since 1975 and internationally rated since 1980, according to his biography on CMU's athletic website. 

Reighard's daughter, Kara, was the 2005 MAC gymnast of the year, the first of five during Reighard's tenure. 

CMU's next gymnastics meet is Friday at home against Bowling Green.

Contact Kirkland Crawford: kcrawford@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @HiKirkHere.