Xavier Cheerleading Coach Angie Clayton Celebrates 20 Seasons

Mar 24, 2023

Angie Clayton is a Xavier Musketeer, a former Cincinnati Ben-Gal, a business owner, a wife and a parent. 

She juggles a lot in her day-to-day life and has played a big role in both shaping students and sharing the Musketeer spirit with fans for 20 years — a milestone she reached as the coach of the cheerleading squad this season.

Clayton shared some of her story with us this week in the midst of preparations for Friday’s NCAA Tournament game in Kansas City.

You cheered professionally for the Bengals. Can you tell us a little about that experience? How did you transition from professionally cheering to coaching cheering?

I started coaching throughout high school and college. I had a mentor who was our gymnastics/cheerleading coach. She created a co-ed cheerleading competition squad at my high school when I was in eighth grade. I saw first-hand what it took to build that program and it gave me the experience to cheer at the collegiate level.

I cheered collegiately at Bowling Green State University, then worked at Universal Cheerleading Association — a company that puts on camps for all ages and skill levels. That experience gave me the proper teaching and training techniques to be successful in my coaching career.

Shortly after college, I moved down to Cincinnati in the summer of 2000. I tried out for and was selected to be on the Ben-Gals the following year.

While I was doing that, I found out Cincinnati State was looking to start a cheerleading program. It was fun and interesting to create a team at Cincinnati State with some individuals who had never even cheered.

All of those experiences combined have always been part of my DNA and who I am. Coaching was always in me.

While I was cheering for the Bengals, I tore my hamstrings in back-to-back years. I remember thinking, "I don't know how much more my body is going to take."

At the same time, one of my old cheerleading stunt partners called me up and said, "You know, Xavier asked me if I could coach, and I don't know anything about coaching, but I know that you are the right person for it.”

I told him, “My body is telling me I can't take much more and I can coach for a lot longer than I can cheer."

Once the seasons were over for the Bengals and Cincinnati State, I started at Xavier. That was 20 years ago.

In addition to coaching cheer at Xavier, you have a day job. Can you describe your other work, and tell us how you balance all those responsibilities?

I am co-owner of ALZAR Studio, which is a woman and minority-owned commercial interior integrator, and we specialize mainly in furniture and providing other services like architectural walls and flooring.

We focus on partnering with our customers and the design community to create beautiful and functional spaces.

Our customers include corporate, educational, government, health care, industrial, worship, hospitality and retail spaces — pretty much anything but residential. My business partner, Yvette Fleetwood, and I launched the company at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.

Although that was a major global disruption, we were fortunate because we've had success early on with our customer base and that gave us the momentum we needed to be successful as a startup. We are looking forward to many more years of success. We’ve got a good team, our experience together spans decades and that really is the key ingredient to execute projects. 

Family is the other big responsibility that I have. When it comes to balancing that I'm going to say I get it naturally. I feel it's in my blood.

My dad is the hardest working guy I know. When I was growing up, he had a full-time job and was working on his MBA. He was on city council and also coached my softball teams in addition to my brother's baseball and basketball teams. I just don't know any other way. It was instilled in me from a very early age. I've always balanced a lot.

I have three kids. Kylie is on the coaching staff with me and she's been a part of Xavier cheerleading since she was very young. I've loved seeing her grow into the leader that she is today. Collins (7) and Connley (3) are my two very active little boys, and they both love Xavier basketball too.

I'm so thankful to my husband Adam and my entire extended family for all the support that they've given me over the years.

The other reason that I've been able to balance a lot of this is we have a great team of coaches.

There are currently four of us on the coaching staff: myself, Kelsey (Reddy) Bezerra (’12), a former Xavier cheerleading captain, Brooke Leonard (’19) another former Xavier cheerleading captain, and Kylie Clayton.

You’ve been coaching cheer at Xavier for 20 years as of this season. What do you remember about Xavier when you started? And how have you seen it change in the last two decades?

It's been truly remarkable to see the growth in enrollment and the number of buildings on campus. It's amazing to see how we just continue to get bigger and grow the Xavier family.

I remember walking on the campus back in 2003 — I could feel the Xavier community and sense of family. Everybody knows everybody.

It was something that I enjoyed and I don't feel like any of that has changed. The same alumni that I met 20 years ago... I still see them and enjoy those relationships.

On Senior Night this season, the staff and squad honored me for my 20th year by making me this memory book with a bunch of pictures and written notes. It was just so sweet.

That's really what it's all about. It's the connection with the fans. It's the connection with the cheerleading squad, the band and the whole Xavier community. I'm so fortunate that I have experienced that now for 20 years.

I only see it continuing to grow as we add more friends along the way. I could not be more excited to be a part of it and I know the future looks bright. It's been an amazing ride, I can't wait to continue to be a part of it.

We know your time at Xavier overlapped with Brian Kathmann ('05) — a former Xavier Blob/D’Artagnan mascot and most recently the Bengals' mascot ‘Who Dey.’ Are there any former students (now alums) whose stories have stuck with you?

I remember meeting Brian. His first year as "Who Dey" was my last as a Ben-Gal. It was so cool that my first year coaching at Xavier was his senior year. He did a great job and I still remember some of the funny things he did while he was a mascot. We’ve had some great mascots like Amy Botos (’15), who also went on to be Rosie Red. Hank Barron, who graduates this May, will also be working as a mascot with the Reds.

To be honest, I feel so blessed to have known and coached so many athletes over the years. I enjoy all their accomplishments: major milestones, marriages and children. We've had some who’ve even overcome life threating illnesses.

All of their stories have stuck with me. That is what makes Xavier cheerleading great — it's not about one person; it's a team and we have built friendships that will last forever.

What has made this season (and postseason) special or exciting for you?

We tell the cheerleaders all the time how amazing it is they get to experience things that most people never get to experience. To get to cheer for your favorite team at Madison Square Garden and in other tournaments is amazing. I tell them to soak it in because it is something special.

I think there's a difference with the postseason. For the senior basketball players, cheerleaders, mascots and band — knowing it may be their last game in a Xavier uniform adds to the intensity.

It's win or go home, so everybody feels it. It's just something that's hard to describe unless you really get that opportunity to be a part of it.

That's what makes it fun, heartbreaking, exciting and bittersweet all at the same time. No matter how far we go (I'm hoping that we're cutting down the nets and Houston), there's still those seniors who know this is maybe their last time in a Xavier uniform and your heart breaks for them.

It's always bittersweet when it ends, but we're hoping that we make history this year.