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The University of Utah Athletics
Carly Dockendorf Named Utah Gymnastics Assistant Coach
4/23/2019 3:13 PM | Gymnastics
SALT LAKE CITY—Carly Dockendorf, a member of Utah's gymnastics staff for the past two years, has been promoted to assistant coach, head coach Tom Farden announced today. Dockendorf recently finished her first year as the team's director of recruiting and player development after serving as Utah's volunteer coach and choreographer in 2018. Her promotion fills an opening left with the retirement of longtime co-head coach Megan Marsden.
"While it is impossible to completely replace a legend like Megan Marsden, we feel extremely fortunate to add Carly to our coaching staff," said Farden. "She is already invested in our program and up to speed on recruiting and our way of doing things. Megan and I discussed possible candidates at length over the past few months and we were in complete agreement that Carly was the clear choice and a natural fit. Carly has a proven coaching and recruiting background and understands the unique pressures of NCAA gymnastics as a former All-American."
"I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to coach at the University of Utah, which I believe to be the gold standard in college gymnastics," said Dockendorf. "I am truly honored that Tom Farden chose me to step in for Megan. While there is no way to replace Megan and the wisdom and passion she brought to the program and student-athletes every day for 35 years, I am committed to working toward the excellence she exemplified. I am looking forward to coaching alongside Tom, whose philosophy and vision for a championship program is something I strongly believe in."
Dockendorf brings a decade of college coaching experience to her new position, including her season as Utah's volunteer coach. Previously, she spent nine years coaching at Seattle Pacific—six as an assistant gymnastics coach (2009, 2013-17) and three as an assistant track and field coach (2010-12). During her time on the SPU gymnastics staff, Dockendorf was the head vault and floor coach, floor choreographer, recruiting coordinator and strength and conditioning coach.
In her first year at Utah in 2018, Dockendorf's work as a choreographer and volunteer coach was especially beneficial on floor, where the Utes picked up four All-America awards and two postseason apparatus titles. MyKayla Skinner and Sydney Soloski won All-America honors on floor at the NCAA Championships and Skinner and MaKenna Merrell-Giles were regular season All-Americans. Skinner won the 2018 Pac-12 and NCAA Regional floor titles, tying with Merrell-Giles for the regional floor title.
Last July, Dockendorf became Utah's first director of recruiting and player development. In that full-time role, she was involved in all aspects of recruiting, including strategy, database management, on-campus official and unofficial visits. She also served as a liaison between the Utah gymnasts and campus departments, tracked academic progress reports, study table hours and mentor meetings, and assisted the incoming freshmen in their transition to the collegiate environment.
During her three-year break from gymnastics in 2010-12, Dockendorf served as SPU's assistant track and field coach while also training for a berth on the Canadian Olympic team in the pole vault. While she narrowly missed making the team, she broke the Canadian indoor pole vault record by clearing 14 feet, 6 inches (4.42 meters) and competed for Canada at the Commonwealth Games in India, where she won a bronze medal. In 2011, she won the pole vault title at the Canadian National Track and Field Championships and set the British Columbia Provincial record, jumping 4.45 meters.
Dockendorf returned to the SPU gymnastics staff in 2013 and would leave with three USA Gymnastics national champions on floor and two on vault (the USAG Championships are for Division II and Ivy League schools). She coached 21 USAG All-Americans (11 on vault and 10 on floor). The Falcons set a number of school records while Dockendorf was there. They placed third at the USAG National Championships from 2014-16 and three individuals advanced to the Division I NCAA Championships, including one on vault and two on floor.
As an undergraduate at Washington, Dockendorf won the 2003 Pac-12 uneven bar title, scoring a 10.0, and was a second-team All-American that season. She set a school record with six 10.0 scores in her career, including five on floor. She won 48 total event titles from 2002-05, including a school-record 24 titles on floor, and was a three-time regional champion.
A two-time All-Pac-10 selection, Dockendorf was Washington's MVP in 2003 and 2005. She won the team's Most Inspirational award in 2002 and 2004 and served as the Huskies' captain in 2004 and 2005.
Dockendorf took up pole vaulting as a sophomore, earning All-America honors with her sixth-place finish at the 2005 NCAA Championships. She placed 11th at the 2006 NCAA Track & Field Championships.
Dockendorf earned a bachelor's degree in English with a minor in communications from Washington in 2006, where she was a two-time Pac-12 All-Academic selection. She coached one year of gymnastics at Shorecrest High School and three years of track and field and soccer at the Seattle Academy of the Arts and Science before accepting the post at SPU.
Dockendorf became USA Weightlifting Sports Performance Certified in 2016 and earned a certificate from the NCAA Women's Coaching Academy in Denver that same year.
The Port Moody, B.C., native is married to Henry Ruggiero, the director of physical performance for the Real Salt Lake Major League Soccer team. They have two daughters: Crosby and Hayden.
"While it is impossible to completely replace a legend like Megan Marsden, we feel extremely fortunate to add Carly to our coaching staff," said Farden. "She is already invested in our program and up to speed on recruiting and our way of doing things. Megan and I discussed possible candidates at length over the past few months and we were in complete agreement that Carly was the clear choice and a natural fit. Carly has a proven coaching and recruiting background and understands the unique pressures of NCAA gymnastics as a former All-American."
"I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to coach at the University of Utah, which I believe to be the gold standard in college gymnastics," said Dockendorf. "I am truly honored that Tom Farden chose me to step in for Megan. While there is no way to replace Megan and the wisdom and passion she brought to the program and student-athletes every day for 35 years, I am committed to working toward the excellence she exemplified. I am looking forward to coaching alongside Tom, whose philosophy and vision for a championship program is something I strongly believe in."
Dockendorf brings a decade of college coaching experience to her new position, including her season as Utah's volunteer coach. Previously, she spent nine years coaching at Seattle Pacific—six as an assistant gymnastics coach (2009, 2013-17) and three as an assistant track and field coach (2010-12). During her time on the SPU gymnastics staff, Dockendorf was the head vault and floor coach, floor choreographer, recruiting coordinator and strength and conditioning coach.
In her first year at Utah in 2018, Dockendorf's work as a choreographer and volunteer coach was especially beneficial on floor, where the Utes picked up four All-America awards and two postseason apparatus titles. MyKayla Skinner and Sydney Soloski won All-America honors on floor at the NCAA Championships and Skinner and MaKenna Merrell-Giles were regular season All-Americans. Skinner won the 2018 Pac-12 and NCAA Regional floor titles, tying with Merrell-Giles for the regional floor title.
Last July, Dockendorf became Utah's first director of recruiting and player development. In that full-time role, she was involved in all aspects of recruiting, including strategy, database management, on-campus official and unofficial visits. She also served as a liaison between the Utah gymnasts and campus departments, tracked academic progress reports, study table hours and mentor meetings, and assisted the incoming freshmen in their transition to the collegiate environment.
During her three-year break from gymnastics in 2010-12, Dockendorf served as SPU's assistant track and field coach while also training for a berth on the Canadian Olympic team in the pole vault. While she narrowly missed making the team, she broke the Canadian indoor pole vault record by clearing 14 feet, 6 inches (4.42 meters) and competed for Canada at the Commonwealth Games in India, where she won a bronze medal. In 2011, she won the pole vault title at the Canadian National Track and Field Championships and set the British Columbia Provincial record, jumping 4.45 meters.
Dockendorf returned to the SPU gymnastics staff in 2013 and would leave with three USA Gymnastics national champions on floor and two on vault (the USAG Championships are for Division II and Ivy League schools). She coached 21 USAG All-Americans (11 on vault and 10 on floor). The Falcons set a number of school records while Dockendorf was there. They placed third at the USAG National Championships from 2014-16 and three individuals advanced to the Division I NCAA Championships, including one on vault and two on floor.
As an undergraduate at Washington, Dockendorf won the 2003 Pac-12 uneven bar title, scoring a 10.0, and was a second-team All-American that season. She set a school record with six 10.0 scores in her career, including five on floor. She won 48 total event titles from 2002-05, including a school-record 24 titles on floor, and was a three-time regional champion.
A two-time All-Pac-10 selection, Dockendorf was Washington's MVP in 2003 and 2005. She won the team's Most Inspirational award in 2002 and 2004 and served as the Huskies' captain in 2004 and 2005.
Dockendorf took up pole vaulting as a sophomore, earning All-America honors with her sixth-place finish at the 2005 NCAA Championships. She placed 11th at the 2006 NCAA Track & Field Championships.
Dockendorf earned a bachelor's degree in English with a minor in communications from Washington in 2006, where she was a two-time Pac-12 All-Academic selection. She coached one year of gymnastics at Shorecrest High School and three years of track and field and soccer at the Seattle Academy of the Arts and Science before accepting the post at SPU.
Dockendorf became USA Weightlifting Sports Performance Certified in 2016 and earned a certificate from the NCAA Women's Coaching Academy in Denver that same year.
The Port Moody, B.C., native is married to Henry Ruggiero, the director of physical performance for the Real Salt Lake Major League Soccer team. They have two daughters: Crosby and Hayden.
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