COLLIERVILLE, Tenn – Collierville Schools has appointed David McDowell as the inaugural Head Cheerleading Coach to lead the district’s newly established Collierville Cheerleading Dragons (CCD), a co op competitive cheer program for students in grades 6–8 at Collierville Middle School (CMS) and West Collierville Middle School (WCMS).
CCD will mirror the successful model of the Collierville Dragon Dancers (CDD), offering expanded opportunities for middle school students to train and compete together.
McDowell brings more than 20 years of expertise in the cheerleading industry, spanning youth, middle school, high school, collegiate, and international levels. Known for his servant-leadership style, he places people at the heart of his work and believes championship programs are built by developing young athletes—instilling accountability, confidence, and a culture of excellence both on and off the mat.
“Serving people is at the core of everything I do,” McDowell said. “I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity and excited to help build a championship culture and strong future for competitive cheerleading in Collierville. Our goal is to develop young people first and athletes second—creating teams that compete with pride, discipline, and purpose.”
McDowell cheered collegiately at the University of Kentucky, where he earned four College Cheerleading National Championship titles as an athlete. He later added three more national championships while serving as an assistant coach for the Wildcats from 2001–2006. During his tenure, Kentucky captured five UCA national championships, solidifying its reputation as one of the premier programs in the country.
After Kentucky, McDowell moved to Tuscaloosa (AL) to continue his coaching career and was eventually named the Head Cheer Coach and Spirit Coordinator at the University of Alabama. Under his leadership, Alabama won the program’s first UCA College Cheerleading National Championship in 2011. His impact on the sport extended to the world stage, where he had the honor of coaching Team USA to four gold medals at the World Cheerleading Championships.
Outside of coaching, McDowell is grounded by his family. He and his wife, Brandi, will celebrate 17 years of marriage in May. They are the proud parents of four children: Billy Rose (7), Charlie (11), Sawyer (14), and Camryn (19).
For information regarding the team and updates please visit .
