LEXINGTON — UK has found its new cheerleading coach.
The school fired former head coach Jomo Thompson and his assistant coaches in May after an investigation revealed some cheerleaders performed gymnastics stunts while topless or bottomless at a team retreat, cheerleading alumni provided alcohol on their boats to squad members during the retreat and some cheerleaders were made to recite in a sexually explicit chant as part of a hazing ritual.
To replace Thompson, UK hired former Western Kentucky coach and former UK cheerleader Ryan Martin O'Connor on Tuesday.
“Ryan is exactly the kind of person we wanted to hire as we sought the next leader of Kentucky cheerleading,” UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart said in a news release.