Rhonda Faehn Named UF Gymnastics Head Coach
Wednesday, May 8, 2002 | Gymnastics
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Rhonda Faehn, widely recognized as one of the nation's top up-and-coming coaching talents, has been named the University of Florida's sixth head gymnastics coach, UF Athletics Director Jeremy Foley announced Wednesday afternoon. Faehn (pronounced FAIN), a member of the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team and an All-American while at UCLA, replaces Judi Markell, who resigned on April 29 after 10 seasons with the Gators. Faehn will bring with her nine years of experience coaching at the club and collegiate levels. She takes over the position effective immediately.
"I'm extremely excited to join the University of Florida. This is a great opportunity for my first head coaching position," Faehn said. "The resources provided in all areas at UF are quite impressive. The support system in place at Florida played greatly in my decision to become the Gator head coach. It is obvious that the University of Florida cares about their athletes, cares about their staff and wants them to be successful. Everything that is needed to be successful is available here at the University of Florida.
"I feel that the University of Florida is a program with much potential and I would love to guide them to a win at the SECs and into the Super Six at the NCAA Championships, where they could be challenging for the title," she continued. "I feel that Florida should be competitive with all the top teams in the country and I feel that the program is capable of doing this.
Faehn will be taking over a Gator program that finished 10th at the 2002 NCAA Championships and third at the Southeastern Conference Championships. The Gators compiled a record of 14-11 during the 2002 season and will return 10 letterwinners.
"The team seems extremely talented, from what I have seen in past competitions," she said. "I think it will be very positive and a great opportunity for all of us to work together and do the best gymnastics we can."
Faehn joins the Florida program after spending the last four seasons at the University of Nebraska. She served as an assistant coach for the Huskers for three season before being elevated to Associate Head Coach in the fall of 2001. Four of the Huskers' five NCAA Super Six appearances were achieved with Faehn on the UN staff and during that time, the team twice posted Super Six finishes of fifth (2001 and '02) and took fourth at the 2000 event. The Cornhuskers also produced two-time NCAA champion Heather Brink during this period, as Brink claimed the NCAA all-around and vault crowns in 2000. Faehn was named the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches (NACGC) Assistant Coach of the Year in 2001. She also collected the South Central Assistant Coach of the Year honor in 2002 and shared the 2000 Region 3 Assistant Coach of the Year award. During her stay at UN, 11 athletes earned a total of 21 All-America awards.
"It became evident very quickly in my early conversations with Rhonda that she was someone that merited serious consideration for this position. She is widely recognized as one of the sports' top young coaching talents," Foley said. "I'm impressed with her personality, her organization and her ties to the gymnastics community. Those skills should help lead our gymnastics program to a position among the nation's elite. We are very happy to welcome her to the Gator family."
She also was an assistant coach at the University of Maryland for the 1997 and '98 seasons. She was named the Southeast Region Assistant Coach of the Year in 1998 after playing a crucial role in the Terps qualifying for their first Southeast Regional meet in seven seasons. Maryland improved from 11-18 in her first season to 22-18 and a seventh-place Southeast Regional finish in 1998.
Prior to joining Maryland, Faehn was head coach at the Lanco Gymnastics Training Center in Lancaster, Pa., from 1994-96. At Lanco Gymnastics Training Center, Faehn organized a team program for levels four through 10. She was in charge of choreography for the beam and floor exercise and coached the level nine team to a state championship. Faehn is also a master staff member and clinician at the Woodward Gymnastics Camp in Woodward, Pa.
During her collegiate career at UCLA (1990-92), Faehn earned All-America second-team honors in both the all-around and balance beam at the 1992 NCAA Championships. She was a member of the 1992 All Pacific-10 team and shared that season's conference uneven bars title. Faehn began her coaching career as a Bruins' student assistant from 1992-94. She graduated from UCLA in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in history.
Faehn's club gymnastics resume includes competitions at the sports' highest level. Faehn, the first alternate to the 1988 U.S. Olympic team, was a four-year member of the U.S. National Team (1985-88). She is the 1987 and '88 U.S. vault champion, scoring a perfect 10.0 at both the 1988 U.S. Olympic Trials and the 1988 U.S. National Championships. In 1987, she was the highest U.S. finisher at the World Championships, placing 19th in the all-around. Faehn, who trained under world-famous coach Bela Karolyi, was a member of the U.S.'s gold-medal team at the 1987 Pan American Games, where she took eighth in the all-around and fourth in the vault.
| Faehn File |
| Coaching Honors |
| 2002 South Central Assistant Coach of the Year |
| 2001 NACGC Assistant Coach of the Year |
| 2000 Region 3 Co-Assistant Coach of the Year |
| 1998 Southeast Region Assistant Coach of the Year |
| Coaching Credentials |
| Associate Head Coach, Nebraska (2002) |
| Assistant Coach, Nebraska (1999-2001) |
| Assistant Coach, Maryland (1997-98) |
| Head Coach, Lanco Gymnastics Training Center, Lancaster, Pa. (1994-96) |
| Student Assistant Coach, UCLA (1992-94) |
| Coaching Responsibilities (at Nebraska) |
| Beam Coach |
| Beam and Floor Choreographer |
| Off-Campus Recruiting |
| Educational Background |
| Bachelor's Degree in History (UCLA, 1994) |
| Athletic Background |
| 1998 Minnesota Gymnastics Hall of Fame |
| 1988 U. S. Olympic Gymnastics Team |
| 1987 and 1988 U.S. Vault Champion |
| 1987 Pan American Games Gold Medalist (U.S. Team) |
| 1987 World Championships - highest U.S. finisher (19th) |
| U.S. National Team Member (1985-88) |
| Place of Birth |
Minneapolis, Minn. (Date of birth: April 28, 1971)
