YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. | Decorated strength and conditioning coach Crystal McCullough has been announced as the new Director of Sports Performance for Young Harris College, Athletic Director Aaron Bessey announced today.

McCullough has most recently served as the Associate Director of Strength and Conditioning at Lenoir-Rhyne University. There she oversaw programming, coaching, and nutritional support for volleyball, softball, women's basketball, women's soccer, women's lacrosse, swimming, track & field, cross country, triathlon, and cheer/dance.

"I am thrilled to join the Young Harris Athletic Staff as the Director of Sports Performance and am eager to collaborate with our student athletes, coaches, and administration," said McCullough. "Together, I am confident we can elevate Young Harris athletics to new heights and create an environment that fosters excellence in performance, teamwork, and personal development."

"Crystal is the perfect sports performance coach to lead this exciting new chapter in student athlete strength and conditioning here at Young Harris," added Athletic Director Aaron Bessey. "Crystal coaches with the ideal balance of care and toughness, which will ensure our student athletes reach their full potential both physically and mentally during their time here."

Under Crystal's performance guidance, Lenoir-Rhyne programs have had incredible success. Women's basketball secured the conference tournament championship in 2023, along with two consecutive seasons of 20+ wins. The triathlon team clinched national championships in both 2022 and 2023. Furthermore, women's soccer excelled by winning the regular season conference championship in 2022. In 2023, they achieved remarkable success by clinching the regular season, conference tournament, and regional titles, and advancing all the way to the elite 8.

This spring, the LR softball team won the conference tournament, super regional at NGU, and reached the final four in the College World Series for the first time in program history.

Most recently, a sprinter Crystal trained competed at the Olympic Trials in the 100m after breaking the DII record at the National Championships last month.

The Bears Spirit squad had a great 2024 season and finished third at Nationals.

McCullough helped implement and manage an internship curriculum at LR. She designed the curriculum to build weekly hands-on learning experiences for interns alongside applicable round table discussions on relevant topics in strength and conditioning. As students progressed in the internship they were given more responsibilities, allowing them to manage a training environment and lead small groups of athletes. McCullough plans to continue her internship model at Young Harris.

Prior to becoming the Associate Director of Strength and Conditioning, McCullough worked as an Adjunct Professor, where she taught courses on Heavy Lifting and Weight Training. Within these courses, Crystal developed lesson plans that helped students succeed and reach their goals.

Before Lenoir-Rhyne, McCullough worked in the private sector where she managed several successful gyms (CrossFit Haymount, Lean Fitness Systems, Mash Elite Performance) and worked with a wide variety of athletes, including elite level weightlifters, professional combat sports athletes, potential Special Forces candidates, and high school athletes.

McCullough served in the U.S. Army for three years as an Army Medic, then went on to complete nursing school and work as an RN for several years, until 2014 when she decided to pursue her coaching career full time.  

Crystal McCullough will start in the Enchanted Valley on Monday, August 5^th.

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