Jerrica Grant Named First Head Cheer and Dance Coach in Eureka College History

EUREKA, Ill. – The Eureka College Athletics Department has announced the addition of cheer and dance programs and named Jerrica Grant as the first Head Cheer and Dance Coach in program history, Director of Athletics Sara Shaw announced Friday.

"We are thrilled to bring Coach Grant on board to create our program from the ground up," Shaw said. "She has experience building programs and is incredibly dedicated to developing student-athletes. Dance and cheer will bring an entirely new atmosphere to our gameday experience, and she is a fantastic coach to lead our program. Her enthusiasm and excitement for student success and student experience will serve our department and our students well. We look forward to how she will contribute to EC and what she will create."

"I cannot express how excited I am to join Eureka College Athletics," Grant said. "The addition of cheer and dance is sure to enhance the game day experience and create more opportunities for athletes to participate in the sport. I would like to thank Director of Athletics, Sara Shaw, for entrusting me to lead this initiative. Get ready to rock, Red Devils!"

Grant brings a wealth of collegiate spirit experience and a demonstrated ability to build programs from scratch. Most recently, she served as Head Spirit Coach at Emmanuel University from 2022 to 2026, where she oversaw the university's cheerleading, dance, and mascot programs. During her tenure, she tripled the cheerleading roster in a single year and, in 2023-24, founded the institution's first-ever dance program. Under her leadership, the Emmanuel dance team made program history by becoming the university's first spirit program to compete, earning third-place finishes at the Conference Carolinas Spirit Championship in consecutive seasons.

In addition to her coaching responsibilities, Grant served as a Student Athlete Advisory Committee Advisor at Emmanuel from 2024 to 2026, mentoring student-athletes in leadership and community engagement and representing the university at Conference Carolinas SAAC retreats. She also provided high-level administrative support as Executive Administrative Assistant and Director of Student Life Operations within Emmanuel's Division of Student Life.

Grant's commitment to advancing women in sport is reflected in her professional development. She is a graduate of the NCAA Women Coaches Academy and a member of NCAA Women Coaches Academy 2.0, two nationally recognized leadership programs designed to develop and retain women leaders in collegiate athletics. She holds active certifications through USA Cheer in safety, risk management, and athlete protection.

Grant earned her Bachelor of Science in Sports Management from Emmanuel College in 2018, where she was a four-year member of the cheerleading program and a two-year team captain. Following graduation, she joined Southern Wesleyan University's athletics department as PASS (Promoting Athletic Student Success) Coordinator, where she partnered with the Student Government Association to establish a club cheerleading program before returning to Emmanuel to begin her coaching career.

The 2026 season will mark the inaugural year for both the Eureka College cheer and dance programs. The teams will begin as an integral part of the Red Devil game day experience, with plans to expand into competition in the future.