After many years of serving as assistant coach for the Red Rocks gymnastics team beside her husband Greg Marsden, Megan Marsden is finally getting the recognition she deserves.
Having spent 25 years as balance beam coach, Megan Marsden was promoted to co-head coach this summer.
“I really appreciate Chris Hill recognizing me as an equal,” Megan Marsden said. “I think we have been working as a team for many years now.”
Greg Marsden agrees that the promotion was well-deserved.
“I think it is something that has been coming for a while now,” Greg Marsden said. “We’ve coached for 25 years and Megan has accepted more and more responsibilities over the years. Dr. Hill began to appreciate that we had been partners in this forever and it’s only right that she had the title to go along with her responsibilities.”
Megan Marsden has been involved with the Utah gymnastics program since 1981 when she joined the team as a freshman; she led the team to its first four national championships from 1981-1984 and was named nation’s best collegiate gymnast in 1984.
She began her coaching career immediately after graduation and has been working with the team ever since.
In the 25 years Megan Marsden served as beam coach and assisted with floor routines, she has had gymnasts earn 108 All-American honors and win seven NCAA championships in those individual events.
Megan Marsden was named the 2005 co-National Assistant Coach of the Year. She was also selected as the 2005 and 2007 NCAA North Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year.
In 1996, Megan Marsden became the first Ute gymnast inducted into the Crimson Club Hall of Fame, and in 2003 she was inducted into the Utah Hall of Fame.
During her 29 years with the Red Rocks, the team has finished in the top three 21 times, which included 10 national champions and seven second-place wins. Utah is the only team in NCAA gymnastics to have competed at every National Championship since the sport’s induction.
“This has been a partnership for many years and this is the next logical step,” says Greg Marsden. “Megan and I have been partners in our marriage, raising our children and running this program. In many ways, she is the face of this program.”
The Red Rocks aren’t anticipating any big changes to the program in light of the promotion, as both coaches said they have been working together for years and the only thing that has changed is the title.
“We don’t think anything will change with that title because we have always been there working side by side,” Megan Marsden said. “I appreciate that Chris Hill has recognized that, but beyond that, nothing should change.”
Tyler CobbAfter 25 years of being an assistant coach, Megan Marsden has been promoted to co-head coach of the gymnastics team with her husband, Greg Marsden.