Murray State Athletics announced the addition of Mallory Carnes as the head coach of the Racers’ cheerleading program.
Carnes, a former cheerleader with the Racers from 2009-11, returns to lead a critical part of the game day experience at Murray State University.
“We are thrilled to welcome Mallory as the new head coach of Murray State Cheerleading,” Director of Athletics Nico Yantko said. “As a former Racer cheerleader, she brings a unique perspective of where the team needs to be and understands the significant impact that it can have on our game day experiences and in our community. The future of this program is going to thrive under her leadership and we are excited for her to get started.”
“I’d like to thank Nico Yantko for this opportunity to coach the cheer program of which I care about very much.” Said Carnes, who has 25 years of experience in cheerleading. “From my days on the sidelines with MSU Cheer to now leading the program, I’m ready to bring passion, dedication, and a whole lot of spirit to the Racer cheerleading program. I am so thankful for this opportunity to inspire and empower our team members, and I’m eager to contribute to the legacy of success at Murray State Athletics.”
From Benton, Kentucky, Carnes arrived at Murray State University in the fall of 2009 where she was part of the cheer program until 2011. She was on the sidelines in 2010 when Murray State men’s basketball upset Vanderbilt in San Jose in the NCAA Tournament.
The cheer program is nearly as old as Murray State University’s 100 years of existence, having supplied school spirit and enthusiasm to Racer game days. While appearing at Murray State home games for football and men’s and women’s basketball, the cheer program also lends the same school spirit at various other athletics and university events and functions.
Try outs for the 2024-25 school year will be announced soon. Men and women interested should fill out the tryout form posted on GoRacers.com.