McCullough begins her second year at the helm of our Sports Performance program. Under Crystal's leadership, Young Harris College’s weight room underwent significant upgrades and a full renovation. The Mountain Lions had two Conference Carolinas division champions, two basketball tournament appearances (three wins), another 40 win season for baseball (Conference Carolinas Regular Season Co-Champions), Women's lacrosse had another deep playoff run, and both tennis teams won their first round of the tournament. Major results were seen in the weight room and on each teams respective playing fields. Crystal McCullough earned the Young Harris College Unsung Hero Award as a result of her incredible work in year one as the Mountain Lions Director of Sports Performance.
McCullough previously served as the Associate Director of Strength and Conditioning at Lenoir-Rhyne University from 2021-2024. 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.
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.
- 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.
- In 2024, 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.
- A sprinter Crystal trained competed at the Olympic Trials in the 100m after breaking the DII record at the National Championships in 2024 and recently transferred to the University of South Carolina to finish out her college career.
Prior to becoming the Associate Director of Strength and Conditioning, McCullough worked as an Adjunct Professor, where she taught courses on weight training and acclimating to college life . Within these courses, Crystal developed lesson plans that helped students succeed and reach their goals.
Prior to entering the collegiate setting , McCullough worked in the private sector where she managed several successful gyms 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.
