STUNT | 7/7/2025 11:00:00 AM
DENTON, Texas (July 7, 2025) – The Texas Woman's University Athletic Department has announced the hiring of Leslie Allen, the 2019 National Coach of the Year, as the new head coach of the Pioneers' STUNT program.
"I'm excited to join the amazing group of coaches and athletes that make up TWU," Allen said. "Relocation to Texas is actually coming home, as I was born in Texas. I'm looking to continue the great work that has been done in STUNT at TWU and to continue to expand the opportunities for women in sports throughout the sport of STUNT."
Allen joins TWU with an extensive coaching resume, including experience at the collegiate, high school and junior high level. She comes in with 25 years total of coaching under her belt and three high school National Championships and eight UCA State Championships. On the collegiate level, she has one National title with Vanguard University, which came in 2021 at the Division III level before moving to Division II in 2025.
"We are thrilled to welcome Leslie Allen to our Pioneer Athletic Department," said Executive Director of Athletics Sandee Mott. "With a proven record of success and a deep commitment to developing student-athletes both on and off the mat, Coach Allen brings the experience, leadership, and vision that will elevate our program to the next level. We are confident that she will build on the foundation of our young program and inspire our athletes to reach their full potential."
Most recently, Coach Allen finished fourth nationally in the 2025 season, marking her seventh National appearance in her last eight seasons at Vanguard. She was tasked with the launch of the STUNT program at Vanguard University in Spring 2017 and the program began competing for the first time in the 2018 season where they finished ranked eighth in the country. In 2019, the team earned the program's first berth in the STUNT Division II/III National Championships, finishing fourth overall.
"We have seen tremendous growth in STUNT across the nation, in Texas, and within our own program," Mott said. "We added this program four years ago as a competitive sports team, and since then, it has become an NCAA Emerging Sport for Women, a Lone Star Conference championship sport, and could receive NCAA championship status very soon. It's a dynamic sport and these talented student-athletes bring so much to our department. We are excited for the future."
Allen began her coaching career at Lutheran High School of Orange County (Calif.), serving as head cheer coach from 2000 to 2012. During that time, she also spent seven years as a Spirit leader. In her final year at Lutheran, she coached St. John's Lutheran Junior High School from 2011 to 2012. More than 75 percent of her senior cheerleaders at Orange Lutheran went on to compete at the collegiate level—three earned athletic scholarships to the University of Oregon.
She later served as head varsity cheer coach at Cypress High School in Cypress, Calif., transforming the program into a consistent national finalist at USA Nationals over her three-year tenure. From 2015 to 2017, Allen coached cheer at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, where she led the Tigers in their first-ever STUNT competitions. The team went undefeated and finished the season ranked No. 6 nationally in Division II.
After jump starting the VU STUNT program, she finished with 26 STUNT All-Americans throughout her years. In 2024, 18 of her STUNT athletes made the Academic Honor Roll. Additionally, Allen has coached 26 STUNT All-Americans. In 2024, 18 of her STUNT athletes made the Academic Honor Roll.
A graduate of Baylor University, Allen earned a Bachelor of Education degree. She becomes the second head coach in TWU STUNT program history, following Jasmine Owens. Owens led the program from its inception in 2022 and recently guided the Pioneers to a program-best 14-win season and their second consecutive appearance in the Lone Star Conference Tournament.
"I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Coach Jasmine Owens for the incredible work she has done in building our STUNT program from the ground up," Mott added. "Over the past four years, Coach Owens laid a strong foundation, instilled a competitive spirit, and was instrumental in helping the sport grow in the state of Texas. We are thankful for her dedication, leadership, and the lasting impact she has made on our department and the Texas Woman's community."
-PIONEERS-
