Perrmella Harris was announced as the head coach of the new varsity cheer and STUNT program coming to Ferris in the fall 2025 semester.
Shortly after the announcement, Harris sat down with the Torch to give more insight into her life and further details on what STUNT will look like next year.
Q: We’re here to talk about the new STUNT program, but I’m curious to know more about you. What was your life like growing up and how did you get into cheer and STUNT?
A: Well, I was born and raised in Detroit with four sisters. I started cheering in elementary school at St. Benedict and went through into high school where I did all four years of cheer. The sport has come a long way since then. I remember if you did a back handspring back then you were good. Anyway, I started coaching when I was 15, I went back to my elementary school to coach cheer, and the rest is history. I went on to coach for 15 years and at the same time I owned my cheer training facility. Eventually, I got a call to coach over at Morgan State University which I did for a while, but then my husband had a big surgery so we decided to stay here in Michigan to recover. Before I knew it, this opportunity came along, and I was thrilled.
Q: What was your reaction to receiving the news that you would be the head coach of the new program?
A: It was amazing. I’m a very goal-oriented person and before I got the role, I had a note on my phone about becoming a head coach so I’m glad I got to check that off my list, and I’m very blessed and excited to be able to offer this sport at Ferris. It’s going to change the whole dynamic of gameday and competitive play.
Q: I know you’re still a way out from the season starting next year but can you give us any insight into the schedule?
A: We’re still working on our travel schedule, but we’ll get all the kids on campus next fall, and it’ll look the same as any other varsity sport. We’ll be doing daily practice, weights, film, team bonding, some community service, everything. The athletes will have a lot on their plate but that’s what it’s all about. The minimum amount of matches for us is eight games, and we may only do that many in our first season to find out who we are as a team first. Rest assured; we’re going to be competing with the best of them when it’s time.
Q: Are there any goals or aspirations you have for your first season next fall?
A: My biggest goal is for us to make our imprint on Ferris. We’re still going to be cheering at football and men’s basketball games, but everything else down to the jerseys is completely new. So we need to come together as a family to put our name in the sand. I’m going to be a tough coach but I promise I’ll love just as hard as I push them to be better. We got work to get done that’s for sure.
Q: Are there any details you want Ferris students to know about STUNT that they don’t know about?
A: You can have a cheer background, a gymnastics background, any type of sporting background and still play our sport. That’s the beauty of STUNT and cheer is that people from diverse backgrounds can come together to compete in an NCAA-level sport.