Marist School Names New Head Cheerleading Coach

Dete returns to the position after coaching the program for 10 years before stepping away in 2017 to spend more time with her family. A Marist alumna from the Class of 2002, Dete spent five years as a cheerleader while at Marist and was a multi-year captain and scholar-athlete award winner. She will work with fellow alumna Tori Nagle ’11, who is an English teacher at Marist, to head the cheer program for both football and basketball. In addition to her coaching responsibilities, Dete will continue her role as Marist’s calendar coordinator, a position she assumed when she returned to Marist in 2022.

Along with the new coaching staff, Marist has declared its intent to participate in the GHSA Game Day State Competition on December 8, a first for the school and the Marist cheer program. 

“Elizabeth is a great addition for the cheer program.  She is a decorated alumna and was an award-winning cheerleader herself at Marist.  She also comes back to this position after 10 years of experience coaching at Marist, so she knows the ins and outs of how to run a successful program,” said Marist Athletic Director Derek Waugh ’89. “I am excited to work with her and Tori, and I am confident they will run a strong program.” 

“I am very excited to return as a varsity coach for Marist cheerleading. The Marist cheerleaders have a long tradition of supporting our athletic teams, promoting school spirit on campus, and serving as leaders in the school community. I look forward to continuing these traditions as well as moving the program forward,” said Dete. 

After graduating from Marist in 2002, Dete graduated summa cum laude from The University of Georgia with a degree in middle school education and finished her master’s degree at Georgia State University. Dete was a faculty member in Marist’s math department from 2007-2017 as well as coaching cheerleading during that time.

Elizabeth and her husband, Brendan, also a Marist graduate from the Class of 2001, have four children. Stella, Rose, and Eleanor attend Christ the King School, and Leo attends the Cathedral Preschool. 

Tryouts for the 2023-2024 cheerleading squad are May 8-12.