The Florida Gators gymnastics program lost their leader on Friday afternoon as Rhonda Faehn announced that she would be stepping down from her job to become the Senior Vice President of USA Gymnastics.
Faehn informed Athletic Director Jeremy Foley of her decision just days after she led the Gators to their third consecutive National Championship.
“This amazing opportunity with USA Gymnastics provides a new and different way for me to impact young lives,” Faehn said. “I will always love the University of Florida and will treasure my time here. But my passion and excitement for Elite gymnastics is pulling me a different direction and the timing is right for me and my family. I want to have a positive influence on the athletes and coaches that will represent our country at the highest level.”
Thirteen years ago Jeremy Foley sat down and wondered why Florida wasn’t competing at the highest level in gymnastics. He made a decision to do with a young assistant coach from Nebraska. She was unproven on the biggest stage but Foley knew that he needed to find a coach that could take the Gators to the national stage and he rolled the dice on Faehn.
“I can remember sitting with her 13 years ago and saying, ‘you know, Rhonda, I just don’t get it. Why can’t we be special?” Foley recalled. “We need to find a special coach and we found one.”
Faehn built the Florida program from the ground up, turning it into one of the marquee gymnastics programs in the country. She brought the first ever women’s gymnastics national championship to Florida three years ago and as an encore won two more consecutively.
The opportunity to take over USA Gymnastics was the only job that could have pulled Faehn away from Florida. “I would never consider another collegiate coaching position,” she said.
Ultimately, Faehn leaves the Gators in a great position. The team is loaded with talent and the program has risen to a level where it will continue to attract the top athletes.
Foley’s job is now to find someone to replace a giant. How do you replace a coach who built a program from nothing into a national powerhouse?
“Rhonda has made it arguably one of the best jobs in America and I’m confident we’re going to have a lot of great candidates,” said Foley. “We’re going to find a great coach. That’s what this university deserves and what this team deserves.”