Zyhira Jones has been named assistant coach of the Division I STUNT team at UC Davis. Photo courtesy of UC Davis Athletics

 

DAVIS, CA (MPG) - UC Davis STUNT is strengthening its coaching staff with the addition of Assistant Coach Zyhira Jones. A former collegiate STUNT athlete and experienced head coach with a proven track record of program building and athlete development.

Jones arrives in Davis after founding and directing the inaugural STUNT program at West Park High School in Roseville, Calif. Over her six years, she built the program into a regional power, expanding the roster from 13 to more than 30 athletes while leading the team to three consecutive California STUNT State Championship appearances, two League Championships and two CIF Section runner-up finishes. During her time at West Park, Jones developed over 10 athletes who advanced to play at the collegiate level.

“Zyhira brings a level of expertise and experience that will be incredibly valuable as we build this program from the ground up. She has a proven ability to develop athletes, establish a strong team culture and build a program from its foundation into one of the most competitive high school STUNT programs in the state of California,” said UC Davis STUNT Head Coach Brittany Lampson. “Her experience leading a program through that growth process gives her a unique perspective that will translate directly to what we are building here at the Division I level. I'm excited to have her on our coaching staff and know that her knowledge, passion, and commitment to STUNT will play a huge role in helping us establish the foundation for this program and create something special from day one!”

Before her time at West Park, Jones served as the head cheer coach at Del Campo High School (2018–20) and Encina High School (2017–18), overseeing practice planning, routine development and program administration.

“I'm so excited to join UC Davis and have the opportunity to help build the STUNT program at the Division I level,” Jones said. “I've had the unique experience of being part of a collegiate STUNT program from the beginning and then later building a high school program from the ground up, so getting to be part of another program's first chapter feels really special to me. I'm excited to bring what I've learned as both an athlete and a coach to UC Davis, help develop our student-athletes, and build a program that we can all be proud of. I'm really honored to be part of the start of this program and can't wait to see what we build together. Let's go Aggies!”

As a collegiate student-athlete, Jones competed for Concordia University Irvine from 2013 to 2016 as a member of CUI’s inaugural STUNT program. She graduated from Concordia University Irvine in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in biology.