COSTA MESA -- Vanguard Athletics is proud to announce that Salonia Harper has been hired as the new STUNT Coach, becoming the second skipper of the team in its eight-year history.
 
"We are excited to welcome Salonia back home to Vanguard as the Head Stunt Coach," said Athletic Director Jeff Bussell.  "A foundational member during the early success of the program, Salonia played a key role in building its strong roots. She returns with a compelling vision, clearly identifying where the program is today and the opportunities that lie ahead. Her faith is foundational to her journey, and it's evident that her spiritual convictions shape her leadership. Salonia is deeply committed to cultivating spiritual growth and a strong sense of community within her team as they compete at the highest level. She embodies the values we hold dear in a head coach and is well-positioned to lead our program into its next chapter."
 
Harper returns to Vanguard, where she featured on the VU STUNT roster for three seasons between 2019 and 2021.  The team had a 21-12 mark during that span, and she was a team captain on the 2021 NAIA Division STUNT National Championship roster that beat Oklahoma City University in St. Louis to bring home the trophy.  Harper was awarded the Coach's Award at the end of the season, and she then graduated with a degree in history and political science.  But she did not stay away for long, as she quickly migrated back to campus the following year as an assistant coach to Leslie Allen.
 
"Without God, none of this would have happened," remarked Harper.  "I am so blessed to have an entire village of support behind me.  I am super excited to be back home and at a place that gave me a strong foundation for how I live my life now.  I can't wait to grow and develop student-athletes at the collegiate level and see them flourish as life goes on."
 
With Harper as an assistant, the Lions ended the 2022 campaign with a 15-4 mark and went 2-1 at the STUNT Championships hosted at Jessup University, with the Warriors narrowly edging out Vanguard in the title match.  She returned to Northern California after that and was named the head coach of the STUNT and sideline cheer programs at Dougherty Valley High School in San Ramon.  She guided both programs over the past three years and saw continuous improvement, with two of her athletes pursuing STUNT at the collegiate level.  In addition to working at the school, Harper built and developed the first club STUNT team around the Dublin, California, area at California Spirit Elite.

Harper will take the reins of a program that went 8-13 in 2025 and 2-2 in the NCAA DII Division bracket at the STUNT Championships.  The Blue and Gold have missed qualifying for one championship over the past seven years one has been held, which was the program's debut year in 2018.  The Lions have had a winning record in five seasons, and with only four seniors graduating, Harper will inherit a multitude of young pieces who have a desire to return to the top of the STUNT world.