Columbus State University Athletics

Payton Shea was named Columbus State University’s Head Cheer Coach in August 2026. She brings nearly a decade of experience coaching school and all-star programs, with expertise in skills instruction, choreography, program operations, and student-athlete development. Shea spent seven years at Tribe Cheer in Moore, Oklahoma, where she coached multiple teams, developed practice plans, taught tumbling classes, and worked with choreography. She has also coached five school teams and three all-star teams with United Cheerleading in Columbus.

Shea’s additional experience includes skills coaching roles with Mustang High School, Mustang Middle School, Carl Albert Middle School, and Carl Albert High School, along with five years as an instructor with the National Cheerleaders Association. A native of Lawton, Oklahoma, she earned bachelor’s degrees in sport management and marketing from Oklahoma State University in 2021 and a Master of Arts in Sport Management from Minnesota State University, Mankato, in 2023.