Utah has placed gymnastics coach Tom Farden on paid leave effective immediately, the program announced on Sunday. Associate head coach Carly Dockendorf will now serve as interim head coach.
The school did not give more details, although this comes just weeks after world champion gymnast Kara Eaker retired, alleging verbal and emotional abuse from a Utah coach.
"This action comes after recent conduct and actions by Coach Farden not related to student-athlete welfare, which simply do not align with our values and expectations," a statement by Utah published by ESPN read.
Eaker announced her retirement in late October, a month after an investigation was done into Farden that concluded he "did not engage in any severe, pervasive or egregious acts of emotional or verbal abuse of student-athletes." The report did give some recommendations to create a more positive environment for the program.
However, Eaker was not the only Utah student-athlete to speak out. On Oct. 24, former Ute Kim Tessen also shared her experience and specifically called out Farden.
"We received excessive criticism in everything we did, mainly from Tom," Tessen wrote in an Instagram post. "This is the main reason I lived with so much fear and anxiety. Tom has a strict standard and image to protect, and if you're caught slightly out of line, you know your spot on the team can easily be revoked."
Utah is scheduled to host its annual Red Rocks Preview on Dec. 15. The Utes officially start their 2024 season on Jan. 5 against Boise State at the Huntsman Center.
