Graceland Welcomes Many New Coaches This School Year

By: Hannah Waldera

This year, Graceland has a variety of new coaches in the athletic department. One of which being Todd Lorensen who is the assistant men’s basketball coach and Kendall Smith who is the head cheer coach and spirit squad director. Both coaches are new to Graceland this year and are excited about their journey here at Graceland.

When asked about his transition to Graceland, Lorensen had many positive things to say about the campus. On top of the “beautiful campus,” Lorensen mentioned how “the community atmosphere is very welcoming and made it easy to hit the ground as a Yellow Jacket.” With the help of the community on campus, Lorensen has been able to join the men’s basketball team that has recently just started its season.

As he is starting his first season at Graceland, he is already looking into the future and commented on his goals for the men’s basketball team. Lorensen says he not only wants to help men on the court but also off the court. On top of wanting to have a successful season, Lorensen also says that “Long term, we hope to provide our student-athletes with a valuable experience that helps them be leaders in their profession, community, and within their family.” With the help of the other coaches in the men’s basketball department, he is looking forward to seeing how the players on the team grow into good players and become great student-athletes.

Kendall Smith also talks about the welcoming community at Graceland. “All the employees are very welcoming and the culture on campus is so inclusive and unique that I now know why it has been standing for so many years,” says Smith. With the football cheer season under his belt, Smith is looking forward to more cheer seasons in the future.

Smith has many goals for the cheer squad that are similar to the ones Lorensen has. He says he wants to “build something that alumni can look back at and be proud of.” Smith wants to achieve this by teaching his athletes the importance of specific values such as, “responsibility, integrity, character and discipline.” We wish coaches Smith and Lorensen the best of luck with their continued journey here at Graceland!