MOREHEAD, Ky. -- One of the winningest national champion cheerleading coaches will get the opportunity to continue to build the Doan Dynasty at Morehead State.
Mark Coleman has been awarded a contract extension with four additional years through the 2028 season.
He directs all activities for the 50-plus time national champion MSU programs (Coed, Small Coed and All-Girl). He also choreographs the Eagles' national championship routines and game-day plans while also helping coordinate community service projects involving the cheer teams.
Coleman is on the verge of becoming the MSU cheer coach to lead his teams to the most-ever national titles in program history. He enters the 2024-25 season with 19 national championship trophies.
"As I enter my 12th season as the Head Cheer Coach at Morehead State University, I continue to be honored to work with the best athletes and represent the greatest tradition in college cheer," he said. "I want to personally thank Director of Athletics Kelly Wells and President Dr. (Jay ) Morgan for this contract extension. I am so thankful for their support and for trusting me to continue the incredible legacy of the Doan Dynasty here at MSU."
He led the MSU All-Girl squad to the Universal Cheer Association Division I national championships in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2023 and 2024. In 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023, the MSU Coed team won the UCA national title. Under Coach Coleman, MSU has also won UCA Collegiate Partner Stunt titles in 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2022. The new Small Coed team won its first national title in its first-ever competition in 2023.
Coleman was born in Florence, Ky., grew up near Memphis, Tenn., and has been coaching a variety of teams and clubs since 1997. He cheered
collegiately at Vanderbilt from 1992-97, where he served as team captain of the nationals team in 1997 and also cheered at Kentucky.
Coleman choreographed and assisted the Purdue cheer program from 2010-13. He helped take the Small Coed division Boilermaker team to the finals of the 2013 UCA Championship and the 2011 Large Coed squad to the Division 1A finals.
Coleman owned and operated Performance Spirit, LLC, where he has produced routine music and cheer routines for more than 50 cheer and dance teams each year. He worked closely with Graves County (Ky.),
McCracken County (Ky.), and Blackman (Tenn.) High Schools for years and has guided those programs to more than 20 coed and partner stunt national championships at the National High School
Cheerleading Championships.
He coached the Graves County Large Coed team to national titles in 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2013 and mentored the partner stunt teams to national championships in 2006, 2008, and 2009.
Reidland (Ky.) High School won the
NHSCC Small Coed II title in 2012. Blackman was crowned Small Coed champions in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, and 2019; and
McCracken County won the Medium Coed
Divison in 2014, 2017, 2018, and 2019
Coleman coached youth all-stars for eight seasons and led the Pep Club All-Stars and Kentucky Elite All-Stars to more than 20 national titles in multiple divisions. At West Jessamine (Ky.) Middle School, he guided their teams to four national titles and also helped Georgetown (Ky.) win the 2005 and 2006 Mid-South Conference championships.
He is an American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators certified coach and served on the National Advisory Board for the United States All-Star Federation. Coleman has also worked closely with USA Cheer for many seasons.
Coleman earned his bachelor's degree in engineering science/mathematics from Vanderbilt. He and his wife, Shanna - who is the Dance Coach at MSU, have four children, Sterling, Porter, Harper, and Keaton.
