Karli Shutt has served as the head coach of the stunt team at Concordia University Irvine since 2020. She has played a key role in helping the program transition from being a club team to being recognized as an official NCAA DII sport. Prior to being promoted, she worked as the assistant coach with Amy Haney at Concordia, gaining valuable experience and helping out in various ways to build a strong foundation and culture.
In the first two seasons at the NCAA level, Shutt steered the Golden Eagles to 23 victories and three victories at the national tournament. It also marked the first time CUI had won multiple games on the national stage as a NCAA DII sport. In 2024, Shutt led the Golden Eagles through their first full season as a NCAA DII-sponsored sport. This included 10 victories, three shutout wins and what has become regular weekly appearances in the Top 5 of the NCAA DII national rankings.Â
In addition to steering the program through the COVID-19 pandemic, Shutt has helped the CUI stunt team have great success in the postseason with trips to Texas and Oklahoma at the National Championships. CUI earned its first postseason win in 2024 over St. Mary's. Over the last three seasons at the club level, the squad combined for six wins on the national stage under the leadership of Shutt and assistant coach Makenna Cox. This included a program-best three victories in Dallas in April 2023.
During her tenure, CUI has featured multiple student-athletes who were recognized as stunt DI/DII All-Americans. When the team competed at the club level, the long list includes Joanna Rivers and Mackenzie Feeken who were both honored multiple times.
Shutt and Haney also played a big part in growing the popularity of the annual tradition of Midnight Madness in the gym. It is a highlight for students every fall semester as basketball season approaches.
Shutt has strong ties to Southern California and is a graduate of Long Beach State University.
