Glenn Caston Tabbed 2026 NAIA Nfinity Competitive Cheer Coach of the Year

Kansas City, Mo. – Following a championship season that saw XULA (La.) return to the top of the podium, Head Coach Glenn Caston has been named the 2026 NAIA Nfinity Competitive Cheer Coach of the Year. This is his third time receiving the distinction, after being honored as the coach of the year in 2022 and 2024.

Caston guided the program to the national title at the NAIA Competitive Cheer National Championship in Topeka, as Xavier delivered an impressive finals routine to surge three spots from the prelims to the finals, and claim the Red Banner for the first time since 2022. XULA secured the championship with a final score of 96.13.

Now in his 10th season at Xavier and seventh leading the varsity cheer program, Caston has built one of the NAIA’s most consistent contenders. The cheer program has placed among the top six at the national championships in each of the past five seasons. After finishing as national runner-up in both 2024 and 2025, Xavier broke through in 2026 to claim the title.

At the 2025 national championship, Xavier posted a second-round score of 99.00, the highest single-round score in meet history, and a final score of 97.39, the second-highest overall mark ever recorded at the event.

Caston coached 10 NAIA Competitive Cheer All-America Team selections in 2026. The group included five First Team honorees, two Second Team selections, and three Third Team recipients. Highlighting the group was Kelsea Allen, who was named the 2026 NAIA Competitive Cheer Athlete of the Year.

In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Caston serves as Xavier’s deputy chief inclusion officer, a role he assumed in December 2023.