LEXINGTON, Ky. — Former Nebraska standout Stacy Underwood, who has spent the previous three seasons working with the Kentucky rifle program, has been named a full-time assistant coach, it was announced Tuesday by head coach Harry Mullins.
A native of Anaheim, Calif., Underwood has spent the previous three seasons working as an assistant coach for the UK program, assisting Mullins in all areas of the program, including coordinating matches and practices and assisting with travel and recruiting. Underwood graduated from Kentucky in August of 2009 with a master’s of science in biomechanics.
“We are very excited to have Stacy join our program on a full-time basis,” Mullins said. “She has been such a huge part of the program the last three seasons and we are thrilled that she now has an official role. We are very grateful of (athletics director) Mitch Barnhart and (senior associate athletics director) Mark Coyle for supporting the program and making it possible to continue to take steps toward reaching our goals.”
“I am excited to officially join the coaching staff for Kentucky,” Underwood said. “The opportunity to be named full time is a strong statement in terms of the support that Mr. Barnhart and the University of Kentucky athletics department has for the rifle team to remain one of the top programs in the country. The past three years have been a great learning experience working under coach Mullins. The rifle program has a rich tradition of excellence and I hope to contribute to that tradition during my time here.”
“Stacy has tremendous knowledge and great passion for our sport,” Mullins said. “She will bring a lot to our program, she has great organizational skills, a championship drive and motivation to succeed. I am very excited for her to be a full-time staff member with our program. One of her strong points is the intensity that she brings to our sport. As a competitor she was always the one outworking the rest of the field. I feel very confident that as a coach this will not change only in the fact that it will get even stronger. She has a tremendous drive to succeed and we are ecstatic to have her a part of the program.”
Underwood, a former smallbore and air rifle All-American for the Cornhuskers, led Nebraska to four consecutive NCAA championship appearances during her time as an undergraduate student-athlete. In her senior season, Underwood emerged as one of the best shooters in collegiate rifle, earning Great American Rifle Conference Senior of the Year accolades. A two-time team captain, Underwood was named All-GARC in air rifle, smallbore and the combined categories in 2007.
