Ferris State University Adds 18th Varsity Program; Perrmella Harris Tabbed To Lead New FSU STUNT Program
Big Rapids, Mich. - For the first time in 25 years, Ferris State University has announced the official addition of a varsity sport as the Bulldogs have added a college STUNT program beginning in the fall of 2025.
Additionally, the Bulldogs have also named Perrmella Harris as the program's first head cheer and stunt coach, according to an announcement made by FSU Athletics Director Steve Brockelbank.
"We're thrilled to launch a new varsity sport and believe this provides an outstanding opportunity to add student-athletes to our university," he said. "This is an emerging sport that quickly continues to grow and is a great fit for our institution and department. It will also positively impact our cheer program and gameday atmosphere.
"We also believe we have found an outstanding individual to lead this program in Perrmella Harris," added Brockelbank. "She rose to the top in the interview process and has a wealth of knowledge and experience, which will be essential in the launch of this sport at Ferris State."
STUNT is one of the fastest growing female sports in the country. FSU will join Davenport University and Purdue Northwest as Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) schools currently with a varsity team. The sport will become the 18th squad in Ferris State's athletic program lineup.
The sport is an exciting head-to-head competition between teams who execute skills-based routines in various categories including partner stunts, jumps and tumbling, pyramids and tosses along with team routines.
Harris has been tabbed as the program's inaugural head coach of both Cheer and STUNT and brings a wealth of experience to the position. A certified USA Cheer coach, Harris is no stranger to one of the rapidly expanding sports in the country, bringing more than 30 years of extensive experience in coaching, tumbling and executive leadership to FSU.
Previously, Harris owned and operated the Metro Cheer Training Center for over 25 years, where they won over 100 local, regional and national cheerleading and dance championships. She has also coached Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) girls competitive cheer and most recently spent time as an associate head coach of a Division I acrobatics and tumbling program. Additionally, she has served as an NAIA official.
"As the head cheer and stunt coach, I am deeply honored and excited to build this program under the athletic department as a NCAA sport that will allow the skills, hard work and athleticism to be shown," she said. "My focus will be to bless talented young adults who want to continue at the college level. I also want our program to engage with our community, cultivate a culture of excellence on and off the mat while aiming for accomplishments that make our university and alumni proud."
Harris earned a bachelor's degree in communications from Madonna University and a master's degree in management and leadership from Western Governors University. She and her husband, Glenn, have been married for 30 years and have three sons, Glen Jr., Kory and Keion.
In her distinguished career, Harris has served as an executive board member of the Gamma Phi Delta Sorority and been the organization's second vice president. The 2023 Madonna University Distinguished Alumni Award recipient was presented with the 2023 AAU Lifetime Volunteer Member Award and earned the 2022 Livonia Chamber of Commerce Ambassador of the Year honor. She is also a two-time graduate of the NCAA WeCoach Academy and has been a board member for the city of Livonia/Westland.
The addition of the STUNT program represents the first sport added by Ferris State University since the introduction of Bulldog women's soccer, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this fall and was first added in 1999.
For more information on STUNT, please visit www.stuntthesport.org