SALT LAKE CITY — Tom Farden was cracking jokes.
Good ones too.
There were those of the self-deprecating variety, like when he wondered aloud how a storied gymnastics program such as Utah’s couldn’t find a better face for their program, literally, than his own.
Perhaps one with a little more hair.
Then there was a Greg and Megan Marsden quip, in the face of Farden having become the only head gymnastics coach in University of Utah history without that particular surname.
“For so long, for 35 years, it was the Marsdens’,” he said. “If Greg lost his beam coach” — aka his wife Megan — “he had more problems than that.”
Humor is nothing new for Farden, nor the Utah gymnastics program.
A season ago, after then-senior MaKenna Merrell-Giles described a series of intense practices on balance beam as “beam boot camp,” Farden became self-appointed “Sergeant Farden.”
There have been gymnasts hidden in luggage for laughs and a host of other shenanigans up on the hill in recent years, and if Farden’s jokes are any indication, that hasn’t changed, nor will it any time soon.
The thing is, humor might be the only thing that hasn’t changed for Utah gymnastics.
The Red Rocks experienced a “tidal wave of change” this offseason, according to Farden.
First, there was the retirement of co-head coach Megan Marsden. Then MyKayla Skinner — “arguably one of the best, if not the best gymnast in the NCAA,” Farden declared — announced her intention to pursue her dream of making the 2020 U.S. Olympic team.
Merrell-Giles, Macey Roberts, Kari Lee and Shannon McNatt all graduated and/or used up their remaining eligibility. When combined with Skinner’s departure, those gymnasts took 14 of Utah’s 24 routines with them, meaning the Red Rocks lost the most routines of any team that qualified for last year’s NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships and possibly more than any of all the NCAA teams.
The changes hardly stopped there, though.
Farden assumed sole head coaching responsibilities and the rest of the coaching staff was almost entirely remade. There was a promotion for Carly Dockendorf and the arrival of Garrett Griffeth and Courtney McCool Griffeth from Arkansas as assistants.
Then there was the arrival of five new gymnasts, perhaps the biggest change of all. Maile O’Keefe, Abby Paulson, Jillian Hoffman and Jaedyn Rucker came in as one of the more highly touted classes in the country, and then Utah added one more gymnast, Maryland transfer Emilie LeBlanc.
“This is a tidal wave of change,” said Farden. “Five new faces, 14 routines gone, and other than myself an entire new staff. … I don’t think that tidal wave has ever occurred at Utah gymnastics.”
What does it all mean?
While expectations remain high, both internally and externally — Utah came in at No. 5 in the nation in the WCGA (Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association) Preseason Poll for the third consecutive year — no one really knows what to expect.
“We don’t know,” said Farden. “We don’t know.”
The unknown promises to make this year’s Red Rocks Preview, to be held Friday, Dec. 13, at 7 p.m., as intriguing as any in previous years. That and the fact that Utah expects to use it as more than just a preseason showcase.
“We are going to use this Red Rocks Preview more than we have in the past in terms of figuring out our lineups for Kentucky,” Farden said. “I think it is going to weigh more than it has in the past because we don’t know.”
What might those lineups look like?
For one, 2018 All-American Missy Reinstadtler is expected to be back in the all-around, having recovered from offseason ankle surgery.
“She is coming back in nicely,” Farden said.
Also back from injury with an expected all-around responsibility is sophomore Cristal Isa.
“We got a snippet of Cristal last year,” said Farden. “She came out of the gates and was Pac-12 Freshman of the Week one week. You could see that she was a champion in the making.”
Another potential all-arounder is O’Keefe.
“Maile right now is slated to go in the all-around on Friday night,” said Farden.
Senior Kim Tessen, meanwhile, has only impressed this offseason.
“She is performing at a high level and has competed on all four events in all our mock meets here in the gym,” Farden said. “That is a pleasant surprise.”
Junior Alexia Burch is “rounding into form,” on all four events and Sydney Soloski is expected to be “a leader by performance out there on the floor.”
Excluding Isa, the remaining trio of sophomores — Adrienne Randall, Hunter Dula and Cammy Hall — “continue to come along,” as well.
Farden’s eyes lit up when talking about LeBlanc, who by all accounts has excelled on both beam and uneven bars.
“She has secured, in my opinion, the starters position on both balance beam and bars and has added vault to her repertoire,” he said.
As for the other freshmen, Rucker is out for the season with an ACL injury, incurred after signing her letter of intent, but prior to her arrival in Utah. Hoffman and Paulson are expected to compete on three and two events, respectively, Friday night during the preview, which will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks.
“Those are some solid contributions,” said Farden.
For all the listed expectations of routines to be performed, nothing is truly set in stone when it comes to the season itself.
“Us coaches are going to have to weigh in on what we see in practices and what we see under the bright lights on Friday to finalize our stuff,” Farden.
How long that might take, no one really knows. The only thing that is certain is that everything has changed at Utah. Well, except for maybe the jokes.
Oklahoma, LSU headed to SLC: Utah announced Thursday afternoon a home-and-home series with both defending national champion Oklahoma and 2019 NCAA runner-up LSU. The series with Oklahoma begins next season in Norman, with the Sooners set visit to Salt Lake City in 2022. Utah and LSU will compete in Baton Rouge that same year and then again in the Huntsman Center in 2023.
“These are exciting contracts with two premier gymnastics programs,” Farden said in a release. “Competing against OU and LSU in the regular season is a great opportunity for our team and fans to see teams we typically don’t see until nationals. The atmosphere inside the Huntsman Center in 2022 and ‘23 will be electric.”
Red Rocks Preview
Huntsman Center, Salt Lake City
Friday, 7 p.m. MST
TV: Pac-12 Networks
Radio: ESPN 700