Bela Karolyi, the former Romanian and U.S. coach who trained Nadia Comaneci to become the first gymnast to score a perfect 10 points at the Olympics, has died at the age of 82, USA Gymnastics said late Saturday.

Karolyi, who was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997, died on Friday, but the cause of death was not disclosed.

Karolyi helped 14-year-old Romanian Comaneci win three gold medals at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, and her score of 10.0 on the asymmetrical bars was the first time this score was given at the Games.

“A huge impact and impact on my life. RIP Bela Karolyi,” Comaneci wrote on social media alongside photos of the two together.

Karolyi, who was born in Hungary and took refuge in the United States from Romania in 1981, was on the coaching staff of five U.S. Olympic teams.

He worked with some of the most successful U.S. athletes of the 1980s and 1990s; among them was Mary Lou Retton, who became the first American to win the Olympic all-around title at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

Karolyi was appointed coordinator of the U.S. national team in 1999, and his wife Marta replaced him in 2001. The couple ran a training center in Texas that became the base for the U.S. women’s team in 2001.

In 2018, USA Gymnastics suspended use of the venue following a harassment scandal involving former team doctor Larry Nassar.

Nassar was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison in 2018 after pleading guilty to 10 counts of sexual assault against girls and young women, including Olympic athletes.

The Karolyis later said they were unaware of Nassar’s crimes. REUTERS