Madison Murphy joined the Georgia State Athletics staff in July 2026 as the head spirit coach, bringing an extensive background in collegiate spirit, professional cheerleading, choreography and dance instruction.
Murphy arrives at Georgia State after five seasons as a member of the Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders, where she served as a line captain for two years, was voted the 2026 Cheerleader of the Year and selected as the organization's Pro Bowl representative. During her time with the Falcons, she choreographed and cleaned routines while serving as an ambassador for the organization at games, community appearances and international events.
In addition to her professional experience, Murphy has built an impressive career as a freelance choreographer, working with high school, collegiate and studio dance programs throughout the Southeast since 2017. She has developed and taught competitive and gameday routines for teams of all sizes while emphasizing technical precision, performance quality and showmanship. She has also instructed master classes and choreography for numerous dance programs across Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee.
Murphy previously served as company director at Beyond Words Dance Academy, where she instructed students ranging from beginner to advanced levels in jazz, hip-hop, ballet, leaps and turns, and adult dance classes. She also choreographed and cleaned competition routines while mentoring dancers ages 5-18.
A graduate of the University of South Carolina, Murphy was a member of the nationally recognized Carolina Girls Dance Team, where she helped lead the program to its first National Dance Alliance championship. Her dance training spans more than two decades and includes classical ballet, jazz, hip-hop, pom, contemporary, lyrical and tap, studying under nationally renowned choreographers and instructors.
Beyond the dance world, Murphy earned a Master of Public Health in Health Promotion and Behavior from Georgia State University in 2023 after graduating summa cum laude from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor's degree in public health. She has served as a research project coordinator at Georgia State's School of Public Health, leading community engagement initiatives, supervising research teams and contributing to multiple public health studies, presentations and publications.
