NCAA Utah Makes Leadership Change (Tom Farden Out)

[JBS]

Figured I would post this as it is very big news in gymnastics…

https://utahutes.com/news/2023/11/21/utah-athletics-announces-change-in-leadership-of-gymnastics-program.aspx

 

[Coach Kate]

I think this is probably for the best. There were so many transfers this spring, something had to be going on. And Kara Eaker's story was pretty damning. She was brought up under Al Fong and it was Tom Farden that broke her? Yikes.

 

[JBS]

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

I think this is probably for the best. There were so many transfers this spring, something had to be going on. And Kara Eaker's story was pretty damning. She was brought up under Al Fong and it was Tom Farden that broke her? Yikes.

I think realistically Utah was looking/waiting for a way to get rid of him legally after seeing the huge public backlash from Kara's story.

 

[bookworm]

I think realistically Utah was looking/waiting for a way to get rid of him legally after seeing the huge public backlash from Kara's story.

And sad and disgusting that it took Farden saying he will "be suing Kara Eaker and Kim Tessen for their false statements of facts" to get him canned and not the actual abuse! and then he doubled down in the WaPo article saying he wasn't going to change his "highly successful tactics" ...Yikes.

 

[cmg]

Univ of Utah responded very poorly to this whole situation. Both UCLA that had racism accusations a couple of years ago, and now Utah with mental abuse accusations have handled athlete complaints without taking into account the athletes' wellbeing. NCAA needs to create a standard protocol for these types of situations. It is very similar to corporate sexual harassment allegations as in there is a right and wrong way of dealing with both sides of the complaint. After the allegations from two gymnasts, they should have put Tom Farden on a paid leave during the investigation and really give people a chance to voice their concerns. They handled this all wrong and it could affect them for the next couple of recruiting seasons. Although depending on who they hire now, it could mean opportunity for some gymnasts willing to take a chance on a developing new culture. I would not want my daughter going to a college that took so long to respond to abuse accusations. If someone can get into Utah based on their gymnastics, then they can go anywhere. I also agree that if Kara quit gymnastics due to mental abuse and worked under Al Fong for so many years what the heck was going on at Utah?

 

[cmg]

Univ of Utah responded very poorly to this whole situation. Both UCLA that had racism accusations a couple of years ago, and now Utah with mental abuse accusations have handled athlete complaints without taking into account the athletes' wellbeing. NCAA needs to create a standard protocol for these types of situations. It is very similar to corporate sexual harassment allegations as in there is a right and wrong way of dealing with both sides of the complaint. After the allegations from two gymnasts, they should have put Tom Farden on a paid leave during the investigation and really give people a chance to voice their concerns. They handled this all wrong and it could affect them for the next couple of recruiting seasons. Although depending on who they hire now, it could mean opportunity for some gymnasts willing to take a chance on a developing new culture. I would not want my daughter going to a college that took so long to respond to abuse accusations. If someone can get into Utah based on their gymnastics, then they can go anywhere. I also agree that if Kara quit gymnastics due to mental abuse and worked under Al Fong for so many years what the heck was going on at Utah?

So just read the College Gym news report and they did say Farden was on administrative leave, but I guess my question is when did they put him on leave? It makes a difference for the investigation.

 

[moogacat]

So just read the College Gym news report and they did say Farden was on administrative leave, but I guess my question is when did they put him on leave? It makes a difference for the investigation.

I saw one of the reporters tweet that Farden was put on leave right after she asked Univ. of Utah for a response to Farden's comment to the WaPo reporters that he planned to sue Eaker and Tessen, so people have drawn a line to his retaliatory litigation threat as a result.

 

[moogacat]

I saw one of the reporters tweet that Farden was put on leave right after she asked Univ. of Utah for a response to Farden's comment to the WaPo reporters that he planned to sue Eaker and Tessen, so people have drawn a line to his retaliatory litigation threat as a result.

Adding the new story from the WaPo setting out the timeline:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/11/21/tom-farden-utah-part-ways/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=wp_sports

It's also notable that his lawyer was quoted as saying Farden had no plans to alter his coaching methods, when the UU response to the internal investigation was to state he's been put on a PIP and was being instructed to change some behaviors. That shouldn't have set well with UU, who went out on a limb for Farden.

 

[cmg]

Adding the new story from the WaPo setting out the timeline:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/11/21/tom-farden-utah-part-ways/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=wp_sports

It's also notable that his lawyer was quoted as saying Farden had no plans to alter his coaching methods, when the UU response to the internal investigation was to state he's been put on a PIP and was being instructed to change some behaviors. That shouldn't have set well with UU, who went out on a limb for Farden.

He should have been on leave when they were conducting the investigation. There is no way the athletes could have been completely open with him still coaching at the time.

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

He should have been on leave when they were conducting the investigation. There is no way the athletes could have been completely open with him still coaching at the time.

This.
There is speculation that unverified sources have said it wasn't just some athletes afraid of him. Utah really gave him a lifeline - all he needed to do was remain silent... but no he had to get all hot headed and throw verbal grip brushes and stopwatches via the media/lawyer - at that point he was a liability.