Kentucky cheerleading head coach Ryan Martin O’Connor has announced the hiring of Ryan Bethay as UK’s new assistant cheerleading coach on April 28, 2023.

Bethay, who cheered in college at Alabama, lives in Lexington and served as the coach at Lexington Catholic High School from 2019-22.

“Our program is lucky to have someone like Ryan join our coaching staff,” O’Connor said. “I have been able to watch him as an athlete, as a coach and as a friend for over a decade and he will be a great compliment to Coach Whitney Hollman and myself. I am looking forward to what he will add to our traditions and how he will help us uphold the standard. We can’t wait to get started and happily welcome his wife and three kids to join our Kentucky Cheer family.”

While at Alabama, Bethay was a teammate of O’Connor’s on a squad that enjoyed an immense amount of success on a national level. The Tide were UCA national champions in 2011, while finishing as national runners-up to Kentucky in both 2010 and 2012.

“I am very excited to join the Kentucky cheerleading program,” Bethay said. “I am looking forward to the opportunity to work with Ryan O’Connor and to be a part of such a tradition-rich program. We will work hard to maintain the standard of excellence for which this program is known.”

Bethay and his wife Tucker have three children, Elliot (4) Cadle (2) and Beckham (4 months).