HARTSVILLE, S.C. – Coker College vice president of athletics and facilities Lynn Griffin announced today the appointment of Ali Nelson as head coach of the spirit team.

"It's so great to be back at Coker," Nelson said. "I'm ready to make the spirit squad a big part of this campus and help these student-athletes reach their full potential. The Coker community will be excited with what we are going to bring to the table."

Nelson will be tasked with leading the Cobra spirit program. Her duties will include recruiting student-athletes to compete on the team, scheduling competitions and game-day performances, fundraising for the program, choreographing all routines and managing the program budget.

"Our spirit team is in great hands with Ali as its leader," Griffin said. "She brings a lot of energy, enthusiasm and experience to the program, which it greatly needs. I am very excited to have Ali on board leading our student-athletes."

Prior to joining Coker, Nelson worked at the Brenda Cranford School of Dance in Hartsville, S.C. There she was in charge of choreography for jazz and hip-hop competition teams and served as an instructor for acrobatic/gymnastic, hip-hop, jazz and ballet classes.

Nelson's accomplishments also include a performance in France with Anou Skan, a professional dance company. She also had choreography selected to the 2012 American College Dance Festival at Dalton College.

Nelson has been a competitive dancer for 10 years and participated in competitive cheering for two years. She graduated cum laude from Coker in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in dance with a concentration in performance/choreography.

                                                                      -------------------------------------------------

Coker College readies undergraduates for personal and professional success through a distinctive four-year program that emphasizes a practical application of the liberal arts as well as hands-on and discussion-based learning within and beyond the classroom. Coker is ranked among the "Best Colleges" in the South by U.S. News & World Report as well as The Princeton Review. Located in Hartsville, S.C., Coker is within two hours of the cultural, financial and recreational resources of Charlotte, Columbia, Charleston and Myrtle Beach.