Red Rocks Officially Hires Carly Dockendorf As Head Coach

Dec 7, 2023, 1:30 PM | Updated: Dec 8, 2023, 10:41 am

Utah Utes Insider

SALT LAKE CITY – Carly Dockendorf is officially the head coach for Utah gymnastics after serving as interim head coach in the wake of abuse allegations against former head coach Tom Farden.

Farden and Utah mutually parted ways in November which is when Dockendorf was put in place as interim head coach. Utah Athletics Director Mark Harlan decided to make it official Thursday afternoon, hiring as head coach of the Red Rocks through 2027.

“Carly is a tremendous leader who cares deeply about the student-athletes in our gymnastics program and is the perfect person to be the program’s next head coach,” Harlan said. “She has played an instrumental role in the successes of our program in recent years and has guided student-athletes to multiple All-America honors. Carly is highly respected in the gymnastics coaching community and her track record shows a deep commitment to helping student-athletes reach their potential and pursue greatness. She embodies all the characteristics necessary to lead one of the sport’s most storied programs, and I have no doubt that she will continue to elevate the program to new heights, producing results in competition, in the classroom and in our community that our fans and alumni can be proud of. I am excited to see Carly take the reins of this program.”

Carly Dockendorf Named Head Coach of @UtahGymnastics Program.

More: https://t.co/LEm5DOd9aU #GoUtes pic.twitter.com/nglLbubnvA

— Utah Athletics (@utahathletics) December 7, 2023

About New Utah Gymnastics Head Coach Carly Dockendorf

Dockendorf has been with the Red Rocks for seven seasons starting as a volunteer coach in 2018 before moving to Director of Recruiting and Player Development in 2019.

Dockendorf was then promoted to assistant coach from 2020-2022 where she has been instrumental in preparing the Red Rocks for the vigor of competing on beam and has turned them into easily the best beam team in the country.

Utah’s up-and-coming coaching star had recently been promoted once more earlier in the year to associate head coach before now completely taking over for Farden.

Dockendorf brings unique coaching perspective to the Utes having spent nine years prior coaching at Seattle Pacific. Six of those years was spent as an assistant gymnastics coach (2009, 2013-17) while another three were spent as an assistant track and field coach (2010-12).

Dockendorf took a three-year break from gymnastics in 2010-12 to train for a berth on the Canadian Olympic team in the pole vault. She missed making the team but did break the Canadian indoor pole vault record by clearing 14’6″.

“It is a dream come true to be named the new head coach of the Utah Gymnastics family and lead this spectacular program into the future,” Dockendorf said. “I am so grateful to President Taylor Randall, our athletics leadership of Mark Harlan and Charmelle Green, and the Utah administrative team for trusting me to lead the Red Rocks. The legacy that has been built will continue to hold our program at the most elite level of expectation and standard every day. We will continue building upon the foundation of excellence, and developing not only world-class gymnasts but women who will leave this program believing in themselves and ready to impact the world around them. This team is full of courage, tenacity and strength, and I am truly excited to have this opportunity to work alongside them and celebrate their brilliant talent with the No. 1 fans in the country.”

Michelle Bodkin is the Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of both the Crimson Corner Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and The Saturday Show (Saturday from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.) on The KSL Sports Zone. Follow her on X, Instagram, and Threads: @BodkinKSLsports

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