Cheerleading Coaches

Jerry Luckett

Jerry Luckett

Head Cheerleading Coach
Dakota Wesleyan University ’89, B.A.
Northern State University ’92, M.B.A.
jelucket@dwu.edu
605-995-2722

The 2011-12 season marks Jerry Luckett’s fifth season as the head cheerleading coach at Dakota Wesleyan University.  Luckett took a hiatus from coaching cheerleaders, but she returned to the sport in the 2008-09 season and hasn’t looked back.

In her five years, Luckett has helped revitalize the cheer program at DWU.  She added male cheerleaders to the basketball squad, which in turn has meant additional stunts and new cheers to rally the crowds.  The football cheerleaders have also added an exciting element to football Saturday at Joe Quintal Field.  The cheerleaders’ spirit and energy have helped show support for the various Tiger teams and DWU athletics.

Luckett isn’t a new face at Dakota Wesleyan.  A DWU alumna, Luckett has been employed at the school since 1990.  She is currently an associate professor of business administration, and she also helps with DWU’s sports management department.  Luckett received her bachelor’s degree from Dakota Wesleyan in 1989 and her master’s degree from Northern State University in 1992.

While at DWU, Luckett has been the Phi Beta Lamba adviser for 19 years, and she was the rodeo team coach for five years before that program ended in 2000.  Luckett has also been a professional rodeo timer for the PRCA for five years.

Luckett lives in Mitchell, and she has four children who have all graduated from DWU.  Her two sons, Travis Bechen and Trevor Bechen, and two daughters, Teri Luckett and Tricia Luckett, all live in Mitchell.  She has three grandchildren: Cooper, 8; Stockton, 6; and Shay, 4.

Dave Backlund

Dave Backlund, Jr.

Assistant Cheerleading Coach
Dakota Wesleyan University ’04

Dave Backlund, Jr., will once again assist head coach Jerry Luckett with the instruction of the Dakota Wesleyan University cheerleading squad. Like Luckett, Backlund came on board to work with the Tigers at the start of the 2008-09 season.

Backlund brings first-hand knowledge of Tiger cheerleading to Luckett’s staff. During his days as a DWU student, he was a member of the basketball cheerleading squad for three seasons. A Mitchell native, Backlund was also a member of the Mitchell High School cheerleading competition squad for one season. He also was a two-year member of the Tiger men’s golf team during his college days, following a four-year high school golf career for the Kernels.

Backlund received two associate degrees – horticulture technology and turf management – from Southeast Technical Institute in Sioux Falls, S.D., before earning his Bachelor of Arts degree from Dakota Wesleyan in business management in 2004. Currently, Backlund owns and operates Industrial Coatings in Mitchell.

He lives in Mitchell with his wife, Luann. His father, Dave Backlund, was inducted into the DWU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008 as a contributor.