Hall of Fame
Theresa Gibson and Kimberly Ross-Watkins have served as the coaches for the Morgan State University Cheer Squad for over thirty years. Currently in her 32nd year, Mrs. Gibson took the reigns as head coach in 1982 after graduating with her Bachelor’s degree in Speech Communication and participating as a Morgan cheerleader herself. Mrs. Ross-Watkins received her Bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications from Morgan State in 1986, and joined her former cheerleading coach at her alma mater in 1991. Together they have built one of the most respected programs among Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the nation, while also building a championship dynasty within the Mid-Eastern Athletic (MEAC) Conference.
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Since beginning competitive cheer competition in 1992 - requiring their teams to perform a combination of stunting, dancing and gymnastics - Coaches Gibson and Ross-Watkins have guided the Morgan cheerleading team to fifteen MEAC All-Girl Division Cheerleading Championships and eight MEAC Overall Cheerleading Championships. Under their combined leadership, over ten Lady Bears have been named to the MEAC All-Star squad. In 2015, the Lady Bears became the first All-Girl team to ever 5-peat as MEAC Overall Cheerleading Champions (2011-2015).
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In 2014, the Lady Bears became the first HBCU team to place as high as 2nd in the National All-Girl Division I rankings after placing 2nd at the 2014 National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) Collegiate All-Girl Division I Championship, improving upon their 3rd place finish the year before. The NCA Collegiate Championship is the largest collegiate cheer competition in the nation, and the Morgan squad did not receive any deductions during their 2014 final routine. In addition to their MEAC and NCA championship accomplishments, the Lady Bears have won over thirty-five regional and national competitions including Black College Nationals, Cheer Tech, American Cheer Express (ACE) and Maryland State Championships under Coach Gibson and Coach Ross-Watkins.
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Mrs. Gibson received her master’s degree in Physical Education and Recreation in 1993, and currently serves as a faculty member and academic advisor in the Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Department and Intramural Director at Morgan State University. Mrs. Ross-Watkins has served as the Morgan State University Athletic department's academic coordinator since 1993, and obtained her Master’s degree in Teaching in 2000.Â
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