Thiel College Athletics

RANDALL BURNETT at a Glance

Career HIGHLIGHTS

• Led Thiel Cheer to the 2023 NCA National Championship
• Guided the Tomcats to four top-three finishes at NCA College Nationals
• Coached the program to an NCA Regional Championship
• Head Instructor for the NCA
• Named an NCA Top Veteran Instructor in 2022
• Recipient of the NCA Dedication Award in 2024
• Nominated for NCA Rookie of the Year in 2019
• Shenango Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Under 40 Distinguished Impact Awards list
• Certified PIAA judge for district and state cheerleading competitions

At Thiel

Randall Burnett enters his ninth season leading the Thiel cheer and dance programs in 2026-27 and his first as Head STUNT Coach

2025-26

• Secured fifth-consecutive top-three national finish
• The Tomcats earned an average score of 89.12 to place third in the Inter Small Coed Division III

2024-25

• Secured fourth-consecutive top-three national finish
• The Tomcats earned their highest score in program history at 94.99, resulting in an event average of 93.675 and a third-place finish in the competitive Spirit Rally division
• The Cats had a Top 10 Highest Score finish across all Division I, II, III and NAIA Spirit Rally divisions

2023-24

• Racked up third-straight top-three national finish
• Placed third in the Cheer Spirit Rally Open division with a score of 86.01 in the final round

2022-23

• Won the National Championship in the Cheer Spirit Rally Open division
• The win was the cheer team's first national title in its second appearance at the NCA College Nationals
• Had a score of 82.3 in the finals to finish with a total two-day score of 82.0 to win the division

2021-22

• Placed second in the Open Spirit Rally category at nationals
• The Cats had a final round score of 92.8 

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE

NCA

Burnett has served as a Head Instructor for the National Cheerleaders Association, mentoring athletes and coaches across the country while helping conduct camps and instructional events. His work has earned numerous honors, including NCA Top Veteran Instructor (2022), the NCA Dedication Award (2024) and a nomination for NCA Rookie of the Year (2019).

PIAA

Burnett is a certified Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) judge for district and state cheerleading competitions.

THIEL

In addition to coaching, Burnett serves as an adjunct professor at Thiel College

Coaching Experience

Education

Thiel
Master of Science in Communication & Leadership (2022)

Clarion
Bachelor of Science in Communication (Public Relations & Marketing) (2012)