Megan Marsden Announces Retirement

For the first time in program history, the Red Rocks gymnastics team will be without a Marsden at the helm, as co-head coach Megan Marsden has announced her retirement after 35 years with the program.

As a former gymnast with the program, Marsden became an assistant coach in 1985, alongside her husband and head coach, Greg. In 2009, Megan was promoted to co-head coach together with Greg until his retirement following the 2015 season, when Tom Farden entered the fray accepting a co-head coach position with Megan.

“I cannot express how lucky I have been to spend all these years at the University of Utah competing alongside and coaching so many talented, strong, smart, amazing young women. To participate in multiple national championships as both an athlete and a coach at your alma mater is a thrill few people get to experience. But certainly the best part of my time here is the wonderful family of women we brought together at Utah and who will always be in my life,” said Marsden.

With Marsden exiting the program, Farden will now assume sole head coaching duties, a role that Megan believes the 45-year-old is ready for.

“I have enjoyed the last four years co-coaching with Tom and he has demonstrated complete capability in every area necessary to be a successful head coach on his own here. Greg and I could see those qualities in him early on, and while neither of us knew an exact timeline, we knew that one day we wanted to turn the program over to him. The Utah gymnastics program is in good hands with Tom.”

Marsden will leave the program as one of the most decorated coaches in the history of Utah’s athletic department, compiling a 222-80-3 record as co-head coach (including six national titles)Meg, as well as two PAC-12 Coach of the Year honors (2014 and 2015), two Regional Coach of the Year awards (2011 and 2012), a National Assistant Head Coach of the Year award recipient in 2005, and a two time winner of the Regional Assistant Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2007.