Amanda Gaines was named as the overall spirit squad program director in April 2025. Gaines will lead all spirit squad teams including cheer, hockey cheer, dance and mascot after serving as Minnesota's dance team head coach the past four years. She will continue to serve as the head coach of the Minnesota dance team.

Gaines has been a part of the Gopher dance team for 19 years, first as an athlete from 2005-2009, then as an assistant coach from 2009-13 and then as the head coach. Gaines became the head coach in April 2013 and held that role until March 2017. After taking some time off, she resumed that role in 2020. During her tenure, Gaines helped the Gophers to a national championship as an athlete (2006) eight national championships (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013) as an assistant coach and 10 titles as the head coach in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2023, 2024 and 2025. In all, Minnesota has won 23 dance national titles with Gaines a part of 20 of them.

In May of 2025, Gaines was named the National Dance Coaches Association College Coach of the Year. It is Gaines first NDCA Coach of the Year honor of her career.

Under her watch, the Gophers also represented Team USA for the 2025 International Cheer and Dance Competition where the team won gold in the Pom and silver in the Jazz division. It was the third time that Minnesota represented the US National Team, having also done so in 2010 and 2014, under Gaines' leadership.

Gaines has 15 years of coaching experience, with a focus on athlete development at a high level and a great record of competitive and academic success. She also has 14 years of experience in communications, operations and project management with Target Corporation.

Gaines graduated from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management in May 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in Business and Marketing.

Championship Titles With Gaines
Athlete
2006

Assistant Coach
2010 - Jazz & Pom
2011 - Jazz & Pom
2012 - Jazz & Pom
2013 - Jazz & Pom

Head Coach
2014 - Jazz & Pom
2015 - Pom
2016 - Pom
2017 - Jazz & Pom
2023 - Jazz & Pom
2024 - Pom
2025 - Pom

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