ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — From a local student-athlete to team leader, Danielle Bauman is the new head coach of Griffon Cheer, as announced by Senior Athletic Director of External Relations Paul Smith on Friday.

Bauman returns to the Griffon Cheer sidelines after attending Missouri Western from 2017-22, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Performing and Cinematics. With Bauman's hiring, she fills the shoes of longtime coach Arielle Ziegler, who also started with the program in 2017.

"I'm excited to welcome Danielle back to Missouri Western as our head cheer coach," Smith said. "Throughout the process, she impressed me with her energy and passion and sold me on her vision for what this program can be. She is the right person to lead this program forward."

A 2016 graduate from Central High School and MWSU cheerleader from 2017-21, Bauman has recently been using her degree to work with film and audio editing. With that also still a part of her career, Bauman is back to help cheer on the Griffon Black & Gold and mentor up-and-coming Griffs in her hometown. 

"As someone who was born and raised in St. Joseph, Missouri Western has always felt like home," Bauman said. "During my five years as a student at MWSU, I saw how positively Missouri Western has assisted students in their future careers. Being an athlete on the cheer squad helped me find who I was and guided me during my time as a student. As a recent alumnus, I understand the position that these athletes are in. I can recognize the pressure of academics and athletics and I want to be a resource for them to come to."

First becoming involved with cheerleading when she was 12 years old, Bauman joined an all-star cheerleading gym called Midwest Storm Cheer. Once Bauman started juggling high school and club cheer, she eventually competed in the Cheerleading World Championships with Midwest Storm and then won the MCCA State Cheerleading Championship with Central in 2015. Bauman is now excited to share her own experience and cheering philosophy with a new generation of Griffon cheerleaders.

"I am really excited to put a new twist on the cheer squad and bring a sense of community to Missouri Western," Bauman said. "Our recruitment process is still continuing throughout the summer. We are looking for assets to our team that are open to being coachable, willing to learn and interested in a team atmosphere."