IRVINE, Calif. – The Concordia University Irvine Athletics department announced this week that Janae Magpale has been officially promoted to head coach of the STUNT team and that the interim tag has been removed.

Magpale served as interim head coach this past school year and led the CUI STUNT team to the most wins in program history. The Golden Eagles went 16-9 overall and earned two victories at the Stunt National Championship tournament in Nashville, Tennessee.

"This opportunity has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career," said Magpale. "I have the privilege of working with a talented and driven group of young women who inspire me to be a better coach. Each season brings new challenges, opportunities to learn and grow, and countless moments that remind me why I love what I do!"

"We are thrilled to remove the interim title and officially name Janae as our head STUNT coach," said Andrea Riche, who serves as CUI's Associate Athletic Director of Compliance. "Throughout this season, she has demonstrated exceptional leadership, a commitment to our student-athletes, and a clear vision for the future of our program. Janae has done an outstanding job, and we are excited to see the continued growth of STUNT under her leadership."

The CUI STUNT team has competed at the NCAA DII level for the past three seasons after lots of success as a club team.

Under Magpale's leadership, CUI opened the season with their best start in the NCAA DII era with a 4-0 record. The Green and Gold also rattled off a five-game winning streak later in the heart of the season.

"The relationships I've built with our student-athletes are what make this experience so meaningful," added Magpale. "I value the trust they place in me and the opportunity to play a role in their growth, both as athletes and as individuals. Helping shape their experience at CUI is a responsibility that I am incredibly grateful to hold."

"What excites me most is the sense that we are just beginning to tap into our potential," added Magpale. "There is a renewed energy within the program, and our athletes are eager to grow, compete, and continue raising the standard. While we established a strong foundation this past season, there is still so much ahead of us. I'm excited about the talent we're bringing into the program, the continued development of our returning athletes, and the opportunity to keep building something special together!"

The PacWest Conference announced recently that the league is adding STUNT as a new conference sport beginning with the 2027 season.

Concordia will be part of this new opportunity with six fellow schools. The list includes Fresno Pacific, Hawai'i Pacific, Jessup, Vanguard, Westmont and Northwest Nazarene competing as conference STUNT opponents. Originally, there were six teams involved but now there are seven as NNU announced just last week that it will join FPU as affiliate PacWest STUNT members. NNU primarily competes in the GNAC for most of its sports and FPU is moving from the PacWest to the CCAA for the majority of its other teams.

CLICK HERE for a look back at the 2026 CUI STUNT schedule