Purdue Northwest Athletics has announced the promotion of Marshall Smith to Head Coach of the STUNT program. Smith served as the team's assistant coach during the inaugural 2025 STUNT season, helping guide PNW to an outstanding first campaign.
In the program's first-ever season, the Pride rose as high as No. 14 in the NCAA Division II STUNT national rankings, establishing PNW as a competitive presence in the growing collegiate sport.
Smith brings an extensive background in STUNT and cheer to his new role. Before joining the Pride, he was a member of the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers STUNT squad and previously cheered collegiately at Oregon State University. Smith also spent time as an assistant cheer coach for Linfield University during their 2023 season and recently at Purdue Northwest served as assistant strength and conditioning coach. His combination of professional and collegiate experience has been instrumental in building the Pride's foundation for success.
"Marshall has been an essential part of developing the STUNT program," said Director of Athletics, Rick Costello. "His experience, enthusiasm, and leadership make him the ideal choice to guide our team as we continue to grow and compete at a high level. l am excited to see him continue building a strong culture that fosters success academically, athletically, and in the community."
"Words cannot explain how happy I am to be named the Head STUNT Coach at PNW," said Smith. "With the sport heading into our second NCAA season, I am dedicated to continuing our academic and athletic success, while providing an excellent team culture for our student-athletes. Thank you to Chancellor Holford, AD Rick Costello, and to my assistant coach Madesyn Smith for the support through this transition. I can't wait for the season to start!"
As part of the program's evolving leadership, former head coach Madesyn Samples will transition into the role of assistant coach for the 2026 season, continuing to contribute to the program's growth and athlete development. "I greatly appreciate Madesyn's amazing efforts to build, develop and lead the inaugural STUNT team. I am thrilled that she will continue to guide and impact the STUNT student-athletes," said Director of Athletics, Rick Costello.
The upcoming 2026 campaign will mark another milestone for PNW STUNT, as the Pride officially join the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) with competition beginning in February 2026.
About Purdue Northwest Athletics
PNW Athletics consists of 500 student athletes competing in 23 sports and is a current member of NCAA Division II, the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA), and the Midwest Esports Conference.
Intercollegiate athletic teams are fielded in baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, esports, men's and women's golf, men's and women's ice hockey, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track & field, softball, STUNT, women's flag football and women's volleyball. Academically, PNW student-athletes have achieved 19 consecutive semesters with a combined GPA of 3.0 or above. Athletically, PNW has secured 18 championships since moving to NCAA Division II in 2016-17.
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