Head Coach

Alia Stark | Head Acrobatics & Tumbling Coach

Buffalo State University has selected Alia Stark as the first head coach of the acrobatics and tumbling team at Buffalo State, Director of Athletics Renee Carlineo announced on Tuesday, August 23, 2022. Stark will prepare the program to begin its inaugural season of competition in the 2023-24 school year.

Stark comes to Buffalo State after a year-long stint in Waco, TX as assistant coach for national powerhouse Baylor University and legendary acrobatics and tumbling coach Felecia Mulkey. She helped lead the Bears to a perfect 11-0 record and the 2022 National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association (NCATA) National Championship.

While at Baylor, Stark coached three All-Americans, including NCATA Division I Athlete of the Year Emily Tobin and NCATA Division I Specialist of the Year Bayley Humphrey. She also served as an academic liaison for the program, helping to guide her student-athletes to a 3.36 cumulative GPA in the spring semester and Academic All-America honors for one student-athlete, Kamryn Kitchens.

Prior to Baylor, Stark spent four years as an assistant coach at Gannon University. During her time at Gannon, the Golden Knights reached a NCATA poll-ranking of fifth in the country, and qualified for the 2018 and 2019 NCATA Championship tournament as one of the nation's top eight programs. She also coached the Golden Knights to a national championship in the 2018 inversion pyramid event.

Stark completed her master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Gannon in 2021.

An excellent student-athlete herself, Stark starred for the acrobatics and tumbling team at Alderson Broaddus University from its inaugural season in 2013 until her graduation. She earned a trio of NCATA All-American honors from 2015-17, and won a pair of national titles, including the open toss national championship in 2016, and the 7-element acro event in 2015.

Stark graduated with a bachelor's degree in political science in 2017, boasting a 3.65 cumulative GPA with Dean's List recognition in six semesters. She was also recognized as the Battlers' Senior Female Athlete of the Year, and earned ECAC All-Conference and All-Academic team honors.