Park University's Director of Athletics Kristin Gillette has announced the return of the cheerleading program with Madalyn Coffman being named the program's head coach. Coffman officially makes her start on February 12, 2024.

Coffman will be part of the resurgence of a spirit squad program that has been out of commission since its last year within Park athletics in 2014-15.

About bringing a new program into the fold of the department and welcoming Coffman aboard, Gillette said, "Park University is excited to announce Cheer is returning after eight years. The Cheer team will add to the game day experience and the squad will spring into NAIA competition starting in 2024-25.  Madalyn Coffman brings expertise in collegiate cheer coaching.  We look forward to the impact she will have on athletics, the university and the community."

Park University will join the nine other competitive cheer programs in the Heart of America Athletic Conference, comprised of Missouri Valley, MidAmerica Nazarene, Grand View, Benedictine, Peru State, Baker, William Penn, Mount Mercy, and Graceland. At the national level, the NAIA will be hosting its 8^th Championship this Spring in Ypsilanti, Mich. on March 29-30.

Coffman will draw from a wealth of experience in her new role with the Pirates as a former student-athlete at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Ark., where she was the Reddies cheer captain from 2018-2020. After receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Literature with a minor in Exercise Science, she remained at Henderson State and completed her Master's Degree of Liberal Arts.

"I am overly excited to start my journey as Head Cheerleading Coach at Park University. I am so grateful for the opportunity to develop a program and bring back a sport that I consider imperative to university athletics. I have felt tremendous support from Kristin Gillette and her staff and I look forward to establishing a relationship with everyone working diligently to make Park Athletics elite. Entering into the 2024-2025 school year I plan to elevate school spirit and the support of the Pirate athletic teams while simultaneously developing a squad of fierce competitors.", said Coffman.

In 2021, she moved into the position of Spirit Coordinator, Head Coach of Cheerleading and Dance, at her alma mater where she has been since. As head coach, she developed the program competitively with 1^st and 2^nd place finishes in the Spirit Rally Cheer Open Division and in the Spirit Rally Cheer Open Division in Spring of 2022. The next year the Reddies, led by Coffman, placed 2^nd place overall at NCA College Nationals in 2023.

Outside of competition, her program was immersed within the Henderson State's athletic events and undoubtedly boosted school spirit on game days, including coverage of seven sports for the Reddies. Her passion within the sport and the commitment to support all of athletics led her to be selected as the NCAA Division II cheerleading and dance representative to speak at the Varsity University conference for cheerleading and dance coaches on the importance of Cheerleading and Dance in the game day experience.

To top it all off, she was the first HSU cheerleading coach in school history to take the program to in-person College Nationals in April 2022.

Coffman is from Emory, Texas and her brother Colton Coffman is a fellow HSU alumnus, playing for the Reddies' baseball team from 2016-2018.

If you or anyone you know is interested in joining the cheerleading program at Park please contact Coach Coffman at Madalyn.coffman@park.edu