Melissa McGhee ’11: From dancer to title-winning coach

If you went to a home football game this year, you saw more than one national champion in action. Under Head Coach Melissa McGhee ’11, the dance team has built a dynasty: 13 national titles in seven years. “People who are fine being mediocre, this is not the place for them. Our student-athletes are high achievers,” McGhee says proudly. “They want to be the best in everything they do—in dance, in academics, as human beings.”

For football games, or basketball or volleyball, the team executes shorter routines to match songs and entertain crowds. The viral, title-winning dances come at nationals each January, a competition with jazz, pom and game day categories. The team, 23 students strong, starts learning that choreography in September. They practice 15–20 hours a week beyond events.

McGhee has seen a lot of change since she was on Ohio State’s dance team, still a club sport, while majoring in marketing. “There’s absolutely no way I would make the team these days,” the Toledo native says with a laugh. “The skills and athleticism you need are just astronomical. Some of the things people can do, I could never have dreamed of.”

The talent and titles make recruiting easier, to a point. “If you’re a competitive dancer, we’re definitely an elite aspiration,” McGhee said in the fall after traveling the country for four days to meet potential Buckeyes. She fills six spots a year—less than half the dancers Juilliard takes, for example. “The hard part is we can’t offer full rides yet, so we work through merit-based scholarships, financial aid, all the things to find a bridge. It’s an interesting dichotomy.”