She’s the first Black spirit director in TCU history and already making a profound impact on and off the field

Brittani McLaurin is no stranger to a college football sideline.

The former Florida State Golden Girl has a dance career that spans more than 25 years. McLaurin is the Dance Team Manager for the Dallas Wings and Panther City Lacrosse Club. She was also the Head Dance Coach of the Florida State Golden Girls and the University of North Texas.

There’s just something about college spirit.

“We are the face of the university. We are the opportunity for our audience, our fans, to connect,” McLaurin smiled. “We bring something more, enthusiasm. We bring joy and pride. We bring excitement and that’s something everyone is looking for.”

Going from dance coach to director of all spirit programs is a big step. But, McLaurin believes she’s ready.

Her office is covered with notes of gratitude, encouragement and praise from the performers she’s coached. On the hard days, it's a visual reminder that “I’m doing good work and I know there’s going to be challenges and I know it’s not going to be easy. Yet, I feel like sometimes it’s a lot at one time.”

Ryan Peck is the Senior Deputy Athletics Director for External Affairs and Revenue Generation at TCU and is integral in the hiring and management of the university spirit programs.

“I knew the importance of what that next hire would be for the university, for our athletic department and our alumni all across the world. So anytime you have the opportunity to add staff, I take it very, very seriously,” Peck said.

Like McLaurin, he also worked at UNT.

“Was able to see her touch on the professionalism of the program and the quality of the dancing that she’s able to bring and I knew who she was as a person," Peck said.

Peck took a step back during the interview process, which included candidates with a wide range of experience. Ultimately, McLaurin was the unanimous favorite from every person on the interview panel. 

“Everyone that she met with, she blew them away. I give her credit all the time that she earned it.”

Texas Christian University was founded in 1856 in Fort Worth. The TCU Showgirls weren’t established until 1976. Since then, the teams have evolved with time. This year, 25 women are representing the Horned Frogs as TCU Showgirls.

At homecoming, team alumni come for a small reunion and march with the team to the stadium. 

“We spend a lot of time looking at pictures of the old teams and it is such a joy to see, sort of, the different representation of the decades," said Laura James, a 2002 graduate and former Showgirl. “I will say, that type of representation changes by the type of women who are on the team and it’s certainly more beautiful now the more diverse it is.”

Kelly Drake Patterson, a 1981 graduate and head of the alumni group, emphasized, “Every year gets better and better.”

For current members, McLaurin’s arrival marks a big change.

Lauren Schondau is a senior strategic communications major who said the announcement of a new director was, “Really hard. I think we all had instant tears.” 

Although the team loved its former coach, they’re now in a season under new leadership and Schnondau says the transition has been smooth.

“It’s honestly amazing. We love Coach McLaurin. We couldn’t have asked for a smoother transition or a better person to lead us. I wish we could have had her around for longer. She’s amazing," Schnondau said.

This is the first year for freshman Ava Burnett, who relived the moment she made the team. 

“I start to tear up and I’m like, oh my gosh, this is real life. All the girls immediately pull me into a hug, so sweet. Everybody is jumping up and down. It was an amazing experience. I’ll never forget that moment.”

It’s much more than dance. It’s a lifelong sisterhood that takes years of preparation and excellence to join. 

“I feel like Showgirls has really given me a place to belong at TCU and all of the girls are so kind and welcoming. So I feel like I already have a family,” Burnett said.

For the last two seasons, Allison Hodges has been the only Black woman on the team. Hodges is a junior majoring in social work.

When WFAA talked to her about the hiring of Brittani McLaurin, she was overcome with emotions.

“I’m trying not to get emotional,” she teared up. “Just because here, there’s not a lot of us. It’s really important to feel like there’s someone who knows what it’s like and I’m really excited.”

As her tears continued to fall, adding, “I know that Coach McLaurin being here is going to inspire a lot more Black dancers to even think about this being a possibility for them. It’s like starting anew.”

A few weeks later, WFAA followed up with Hodges who admitted it was her first time verbalizing how she felt being the only Black TCU Showgirl. 

“Not that I felt uncomfortable to talk about it but, I felt like it wasn’t talked about in the first place. So for me to bring it up I kind of felt like a broken record,” Hodges explained. “It’s impossible to ignore it now. So now, we have to talk about it.”

Her presence has always been noticeable, so much so that, “So many girls text me, DM me on Instagram, they’re like, should I even… how do you feel? Should I even try? That hurts my heart so much because everyone has a place,” Hodges shared.

It has been a struggle she’s kept silent. From hurtful messages on anonymous social media platforms, to chance encounters on campus. 

“I remember when I first got here - the Black Showgirl. People would come up to me and say that. I’d be like, actually, my name is Allison, thanks,” Hodges said. “That’s why I never really brought it up because I didn’t want anybody to think I only got on the team just so there could be diversity. I just kind of picked and chose my battles, if I wanted to defend me being here or not to every single person I talked to.”

Now that McLaurin is her coach, Hodges feels like a weight has been lifted and she’s rethinking her choice to keep her experience to herself.

“I do kind of regret that. I wish I was more outspoken about it in the beginning because who knows? There could have been many other girls who would’ve been willing to try I feel like, better late than never.”

On a sunny, late October Saturday, Brittani McLaurin is coordinating all the spirit groups from the field at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Now midway through her first football season, the team says Coach McLaurin has been nothing but a positive light for them.

“The level of respect that we have all gained from Coach McLaurin in such a short time is evident in every single member of the team. She’s one of us," Burnett said.

Burnett goes on to say how much Coach McLaurin has invested personal time with every member of the team. 

“She just really cares about each girl. She’s brought us out for one-on-one talks to get to know us, which I think is really special. Not a lot of coaches take the time to get to know each person on the team individually," Burnett said.

There’s rapid collaboration on the field between Super Frog, dance, cheer, rangers and the flag performers. Even Chancellor Victor Boschini got in on the 2nd quarter performance.

Revisiting our conversation with Ryan Peck, WFAA noted that there are not a lot of Black women, in particular, leading spirit programs at division one universities. We wanted to know if the importance of that was considered. 

“You know, I thought about the impact in a positive way. I go back to her days at Florida State. She has been it and done it at the highest level with national championship programs. For me, it was how could we see that as a positive?” Peck said.

Emphasizing that at TCU, “For young women and men of all backgrounds, now particularly with the Showgirls, to be able to see people who look like them leading programs, front and center, that’s what we do as an institution.”

 McLaurin feels she’s in the right place at the right time. 

“The overwhelming support was most important and honestly, something I needed deep down inside that I didn’t recognize until it actually happened so, I’m blessed. I’m blessed by the support,” she said. 

Now managing 103 athletes and six coaches - this is her dream come true.

When asked if she knew what her presence would mean to a young woman like Hodges, McLaurin took a deep breath and nodded.

“Yes, because I know what it’s like. I know what it’s like to be the only one. I know what it’s like to want to speak to things but not know how to do that," McLaurin said.

She told WFAA that she keeps a running list of her fellow Black spirit directors. 

“I believe there are five of us, including myself,” McLaurin noted.

In a time where the word diversity sparks so much debate about what is lost, Hodges wants to be a visual representation of what can be gained. She loves TCU and represents her university, in one of its most visible roles, well. 

“I love being a Showgirl. I know when I put on the uniform, I feel like Superwoman. I feel so awesome. I feel happy. So every time we’re at a game or performance, the smile is not fake. It's real," Hodges said.

Those moments mean everything to McLaurin who is bringing a fresh face and perspective to TCU spirit with full confidence. 

“The university, athletics, our coaching staff, our members, are really working toward something that’s bigger than ourselves," McLaurin said.

No doubt, Brittani McLaurin is now a big part of that.