University of Utah gymnastics head coach Tom Farden has announced the addition of Jimmy Pratt as an assistant coach, bringing in over 20 years of coaching experience to the program.
“Jimmy is an expert technician and has produced many top-level gymnasts,” said Farden. “I have known him for over a decade. His worth ethic and enthusiasm for excellence is contagious, and we are ecstatic about him coming home and being an integral part of our program.”
Pratt joins the Utah coaching staff after a two-year stint as an assistant coach at Denver, while previously coaching at All American Gymnastics in Lindon, Utah, for 18 years. Pratt will serve as Utah’s primary vault coach and will begin duties immediately.
“My family and I are grateful and honored for the opportunity to work with Utah Gymnastics, its dedicated staff, the remarkable athletic department and to be part of the community that is the University of Utah,” said Pratt. “To work with student-athletes of this caliber is any coach’s dream come true and I am thrilled with the opportunity to strive alongside them in fulfilling their athletic, academic and personal aspirations.”
Pratt served as Denver’s primary vault and floor coach where he guided the Pioneers to a top-10 ranking on floor this past season and on vault in 2020. His floor squad this year closed the regular season at No. 9 in the nation, while Pratt’s 2020 vault lineup finished the year ranked No. 9 in the nation as well.
Outside of the team’s success, Pratt pushed Lynzee Brown to a No. 3 national ranking on floor and regular season All-American honors on both vault and floor – his primary events. Pratt also coached Maddie Karr to a No. 4 national ranking on vault in 2020, which included two 10.0s, and saw Brown make a leap to No. 12 in the nation on vault this year.
Prior to making the move to Denver, Pratt spent 18 years at All American Gymnastics in Lindon, Utah, and served as the club’s head coach since 2011. At All American, he was responsible for all aspects of the program and coached at both the Elite and Junior Olympic levels. Under his tutelage, Hunter Dula, MaKenna Merrell-Giles and Kim Tessen all received scholarships to Utah.
In 2009-10, Pratt had a taste of college coaching at Brigham Young at the start of his career as the volunteer assistant coach where he assisted with vault and bars. He received his bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young in exercise science with an emphasis in fitness and wellness (2007). He is married to Makenna Pratt and they have three daughters: Kaylor, Daphne and Linden.