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BREAKING: After three month investigation, UK fires all four cheerleading coaches

Published

6 years ago

May 18, 2020

Normally the only news we hear surrounding the Kentucky cheerleading program is about success and national championships. This morning, we got a totally different kind of news.

The University of Kentucky announced that they would be firing all four cheerleading coaches.

A three-month investigation found the coaching staff and administrative advisor failed to provide reasonable oversight during off-campus events, where inappropriate conduct by members of the cheerleading squad included hazing activities, alcohol use and public nudity.

The investigation also found careless oversight and poor judgment by T. Lynn Williamson, who served as the cheerleading program’s advisor for four decades. Williamson, whose primary university job was principal deputy general counsel, retired days after learning of the investigation and being directed to have no contact with the cheerleading squad.

“A commitment we make and renew every day at the University of Kentucky is that the success of our students is at the center of everything that we do. But for that sentiment to be more than words, we must always act in ways that honor that commitment — especially when we discover rare instances where those who supervise and guide our students don’t meet the standards of integrity we expect of each other. This is one of those times,” said UK President Eli Capilouto. “The University of Kentucky has built the nation’s premier collegiate cheerleading program. But regrettably, the integrity of the program has been compromised by inappropriate behavior by some squad members on off-campus trips and by lax oversight by the program’s coaches and advisor.”

The investigation also uncovered potential conflicts of interest for two members of the coaching staff who ran gymnastics businesses that employed members of the cheerleading squad and the advisor, who hired students and coaches to perform work at his home. The Office of Internal Audit is reviewing these and other financial practices of the cheerleading squad.

“The advisor and the coaches failed to stop a culture of hazing, alcohol use and public nudity at off-campus activities where they were present,” said Eric N. Monday, UK’s executive vice president for finance and administration. “Our students deserve more responsible leadership and the University of Kentucky demands it.”

Monday said he has assigned oversight of the cheerleading program to University of Kentucky Athletics to provide more rigorous control and accountability.

Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart made the decision to discharge the cheerleading head coach and remove the assistant coaches from any association with the program consistent with the conclusions of multiple reports, including those by the Office of Institutional Equity and Equal Opportunity, by the Office of Student Conduct, and a jointly authored report that included input from an expert outside UK with expertise in employment law.

Barnhart has directed Sandy Bell, executive associate athletics director to lead the program, including the hiring of a new coaching staff. A national search will be conducted for a new coach.

“This must be a championship-level program both on and off the court and playing fields,” Barnhart said. “And as with all our sports, that will be our goal — every day.”

UK’s cheerleading program has won 24 national championships in the past 35 years and developed hundreds of outstanding students.

Monday said the investigation began in early February after a call from a family member of a cheerleader alleging inappropriate conduct by squad members and inadequate oversight by coaches during off-campus trips.

University leaders acted early in the investigation to increase oversight and limit contact between the employees under investigation and cheerleaders.

The three-month process included interviews with more than 60 students, coaches and administrators in the cheerleading program. UK Provost David W. Blackwell said the review found:

Coaches knew or reasonably should have known of inappropriate conduct by cheerleaders and failed to take sufficient steps to address the conduct;

During a team retreat at Lake Cumberland, some cheerleaders performed gymnastics routines that including hurling their teammates from a dock into the water while either topless or bottomless. The routines, known as “basket tosses,” were done at the direction of other members of the squad and within the view of at least some of the coaches;
Coaches allowed cheerleading alumni to bring boats and alcohol to the retreat, where some cheerleaders were partially naked and/or drinking while riding on boats;

Coaches did not confiscate alcohol brought to the retreat by some squad members or intervene to stop students from consuming alcohol. Several squad members became so intoxicated they required medical treatment; and
During a cheerleading camp in Tennessee, some cheerleaders were directed by other members of the squad to perform lewd chants and wear outfits that did not include underwear.

The investigation found no evidence of sexual assault or sexual misconduct during these trips.

“We place the safety and health of our students above all other priorities as a university,” Blackwell said. “We cannot truly have a championship cheerleading program if we do not protect the health, safety and well-being of our students.”

As UK Athletics takes control of the program, Bell said inappropriate behavior by the cheerleading squad will not be allowed.

“The annual retreat will be eliminated, and all off-campus trips will be closely supervised,” Bell said. “Cheerleading squad members will be held to the same standards as all our student athletes. It’s a new day for UK cheerleading.”

Athletics officials are meeting today with current members of the current squad to share the news and discuss the timeline for hiring and tryouts.

UK Athletics will immediately begin the national search for a new head coach, who will be part of the selection of assistant coaches and the 2020-21 team members this summer.

The investigation reports and other documents can be accessed here.

FB Recruiting

Nick Mingione “Has a Plan” for Matt Ponatoski, Discusses Working With Two Sports

Published

6 days ago

February 4, 2026

Kelly Doherty

Imagn Images

Media Day was held for No. 18 Kentucky Baseball on Tuesday, Feb. 3, and head coach Nick Mingione was highly optimistic for his 10th Wildcats team and their developments throughout the offseason.

The 2x SEC Coach of the Year discussed managing the tough ask of acquiring a top 25 recruiting class and a top 10 portal class, his pride and appreciation for BBN – as he glosses over some of the other successful head coaches in Lexington and MLB prospect Tyler Bell improving as a player more than anybody thought he would.

One of the bigger topics that came around during Mingione’s press conference was about incoming freshman Matt Ponatoski, a two-sport star from Archbishop Moeller in Cincinnati, OH, who was praised heavily as both a quarterback, a pitcher, and a hitter during his recruiting stages.

You rarely see young athletes succeed in multiple sports the way Ponatoski did, but as he picked up Ohio’s Gatorade Player of the Year in both football and baseball during his junior year, Kentucky took the chance and brought him in under two coaches.

It’s hard enough for a young athlete coming into college to accept the pressure of two SEC-team workloads, but what about the coaches who have to work with him?

Fortunately, Mingione and the newly hired Will Stein (who recruited Ponatoski during his time at Oregon) look to be working together diligently to make sure the dual prospect succeeds in every position he plays.

“You just have to take your daddy goggles off or your mommy goggles off and just ask some people that you trust,” Mingione said. “The game of baseball and football has not told Matt Ponatoski to stop playing one or the other.”

Kentucky opens its season with three games in three days at UNC Greensboro. The first matchup is stamped for Friday, Feb. 13 at 4:00 p.m. ET.

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No. 18 Kentucky Ends Losing Streak, Clara Strack Drops Career High and Teonni Key Returns

Published

1 week ago

February 3, 2026

AJ Nava

Morgan Simmons | UK Athletics

No. 15 Kentucky women’s basketball (18-5, 5-4 SEC) won the team’s first game since mid January, ending a three-game losing streak after putting down the Arkansas Razorbacks (11-12, 0-8 SEC) by a score of 93-73 on Sunday, Feb. 1.

Coming into the game, Arkansas was winless in the SEC and on the Wildcats side, it was the return of star forward Teonni Key.

With a weeks rest, the team finally back together and facing a weaker opponent, this was a prime chance to get the Cats’ feet back under them.

Shaking Off the Rust

With so many things in favor of Kentucky, throughout the first three quarters, the game was up in the air. In fact, midway through the third quarter, Arkansas had the lead over Kentucky.

The ball couldn’t go through the hoop consistently, the defense was here and there and some of the Wildcats’ biggest offensive hitters were struggling, with Tonie Morgan only notching seven points and Amelia Hassett shooting 2-7 from the field.

No player on any team seemed to have total control of the game, nor could keep a constant flow on either side of the floor.

The only two consistent positives for Kentucky were Clara Strack and Key, reforming a bond that has been five weeks overdue.

The One-Two Punch

Strack finished with 33 points and 15 boards, a career night for the star center, while Key had her own double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds.

While most players choose to ease their way into the game when coming back from injury, the 6-foot- 5 Key put her foot on the gas pedal, giving Big Blue Nation some mini heart attacks.

Key was instantly thrown in the starting lineup and within the first two minutes of the game, she was bumping bodies in the paint and had dove to the floor for loose balls multiple times.

Her grit and vocal leadership on the floor was a big reason Kentucky rallied to get the 20-point victory.

Strack, on the other hand, shot 65% for the game and was killing the Razorbacks on the offensive glass, grabbing six boards and putting a huge dent in the team’s 18 second chance points.

With Key and Strack scoring at will, their defense would shine late, turning an eventual 11-point lead into a 20-point lead.

If Kentucky can take that fourth quarter dominance and carry it into its next matchup, the Wildcats will have a great February ahead of them.

Up next for the Wildcats is a home game versus No. 7 Vanderbilt (21-2, 7-2 SEC) on Thursday, Feb. 5. Tip is set for 7:00 p.m. ET and will stream live on SEC Network+.

Other Sports

Kentucky Falls to Rival Tennessee Volunteers, Loses Second Straight SEC Matchup

Published

3 weeks ago

January 23, 2026

AJ Nava

Morgan Simmons | UK Athletics

Traveling to Knoxville, TN, it was quite the underwhelming game all around for the No. 11 Wildcats (17-4, 4-3 SEC), as they fell 60-58 to the No. 17 Lady Volunteers (14-3, 6-0 SEC) on Thursday, Jan. 22.

A top-20 matchup is one that most fans would call a “must see” game, however, this one proved to be anything but that.

Lack of Scoring, Abundance of Turnovers

To end the first quarter, both teams were shooting 25 percent or lower from the field, and between the two ranked teams, only a total of seven field goals were made in the first quarter.

Clara Strack, the Wildcats’ leading scorer for the season, only tallied nine points on 2-7 shooting. Although she did contribute 15 rebounds, it was balanced out by her 4 turnovers that benefited Tennessee greatly.

So great, in fact, that the Lady Vols scored 21 points off of Kentucky’s 21 turnovers.

The final turnover total added 10 on to the Cats’ normal average and would ultimately be the nail in the coffin late in the game.

In the final two possessions, the Wildcats inability to take care of the ball was the reason they didn’t even get a chance to shoot a potential game-tying or game-winning shot.

First, Asia Boone fumbled it up, leading to jump ball in favor of Kentucky. And secondly, with no options, Tonie Morgan was forced to try to bounce the ball off a Volunteer defender during an inbound pass, but Tennessee reacted quickly and snatched the ball away.

Was This Game Destiny?

Historically, games in Knoxville never go the Wildcats’ way. While Kentucky has grabbed four wins in Knoxville, they have fallen short 29 times now.

Last year, in this same matchup, it was the Cats that were the underdogs and celebrated their win as if it was the Super Bowl.

For now, the Wildcats can only focus on their mistakes and return back to the team Big Blue Nation is used to seeing. Up next for Kenny Brooks and the Cats is a home game versus unranked Georgia (17-3, 3-3 SEC) on Sunday, Jan. 25 at 12:00 p.m. ET.

The Wildcats’ return to Historic Memorial Coliseum will stream live on SEC Network.