Why was Mercer cheer coach dismissed? Parents of team members seek answers

The recent dismissal of Mercer University’s head cheerleading coach has left team members and their parents surprised, especially in light of the squad’s recent success at a national competition.

Mercer spokesperson Jennifer Fairfield confirmed former cheer coach Mason Dillard is no longer employed with the university but declined to disclose when and why the decision was made. Dillard also declined to speak with The Telegraph.

Fairfield also confirmed that Dillard’s wife and former Mercer assistant cheer coach Courtney Dillard is no longer employed by the university.

The unexpected personnel move involving Mason occurred weeks before the university’s cheer squad placed fourth out of 28 teams in the 2025 College Nationals competition in April, according to the cheer team’s Facebook page. Parents said the success highlights the coaches’ effectiveness and the student-athletes’ hard work.

Tyler Addison, step-parent of freshman Mercer cheerleader McKinley Ivester, said Dillard’s character drew his daughter into the decision to commit to Mercer despite being accepted to several Division 1 schools.

“This situation was kind of concerning and a little disheartening for parents,” Addison said. “My daughter’s a tough cookie. She holds things in a lot, but I can tell it’s affected her. I know she’s a young woman, but it’s hard for a parent to watch a child go through some things that could have been avoided.”

Addison said the university’s cheer community just wants school officials to be transparent about why the coach was let go.

“Why, when we’re doing this well, would you do this?” he questioned.

McKinley’s mother, Alexa Addison, praised the team’s resilience.

“I feel like the girls turned it all around to work harder and show everybody how good they were,” Alexa Addison told The Telegraph. “Instead of letting it break them, the girls used it as fuel. They pushed harder and stayed focused.”

Alexa Addison also raised concerns about how the university treats the cheer program like an afterthought despite overcoming challenges they face.

”Honestly, and I feel like this is not just Mercer in particular, but just women’s sports as a whole. It just doesn’t seem quite as important as football or, you know, other sports,” she said.

Tyler Addison, who has a longtime background in sports, emphasized the importance of coaches in athletes’ lives. He said he would like the university to reconsider its decision.

“These coaches really brought the best out of these cheerleaders and supported everything they did in uplifting them without much support from the athletic department or the university,” he said.

Dillard is the owner of MGA Cheer Extreme, an all-star cheerleading gym in Warner Robins where the Mercer cheer team would often practice when there weren’t space to practice on campus, Alexa Addison said.

Dillard cheered for the Mercer Bears from 2014 to 2017, according to a Mercer social media post.

What’s next?

Mercer officials did not respond to questions The Telegraph asked about what’s next for the university’s cheer program.

The Mercer cheer team recently held tryouts and announced its 2025-2026 team on social media Tuesday.

Tyler Addison questioned the timing of tryouts without a coach to assess incoming talent.

Mercer University has not yet publicly announced a head replacement for the cheer program.

WGXA reported that Todd Anderson, Mercer assistant athletic director for athletic media relations, said the athletics department is actively searching for the cheer program’s next leader.

This story was originally published April 30, 2025 at 9:21 AM.