Dan Horne has been named Head Climbing Coach with Taylor Simpson and Anna Morgan serving as Assistant Coaches for the Brevard College Climbing team, announced Director of Athletics Myranda Nash.  The new coaching staff for the Brevard Climbing program will begin their duties this Spring, concurrent with a continued partnership with Brevard Rock Gym.

"As one of a select number of varsity programs in the nation, we are very excited to have this experienced coaching staff in place for our climbing program," said Nash.  "Coach Horne, Coach Simpson and Coach Morgan all bring a wealth of experience which will help our student-athletes tremendously.  Moreover, we are excited to have the continued opportunity for our student-athletes to benefit from the outstanding resources at Brevard Rock Gym."

Horne has served as the Head Coach of Brevard Rock Gym since 2006.  In his 13 years at Brevard Rock Gym, he started a climbing team from scratch where he has coached and mentored countless young people in the sport.  He has coached multiple youth divisional and regional champions as well as helped many young athletes qualify for national championship competitions. 

Horne's philosophy is to "build discipline, healthy habits and values both physically, mentally and emotionally through training programs and through learning tactics to ascend climbs and excel in competition settings."  In turn, these habits and disciplines are then transferable to the student-athletes away from the competition setting.

"Having been a part of the Brevard climbing community for the past 14 years, I am honored and very excited to be starting as the head coach of the BC climbing team," said Horne.  "With me will be assistant coaches Taylor Simpson and Anna Morgan.  Taylor has several years of coaching experience and excels in his interpersonal relationships with student-athletes.  Anna has been coaching for two years and has a deep knowledge of anatomy and physiology."

Simpson has coached at Brevard Rock Gym for five years beginning in 2015 where he has assisted in managing weekly practices that include technique/movement instruction, weight training, and problem-solving thought processes. A proficient indoor and outdoor climber, he has accumulated eight years of outdoor climbing experience with organizations such as Boy Scouts of America, Camp Carolina and Camp High Rocks. A certified Single Pitch Instructor, Simpson is an aspiring mountain guide in the Western North Carolina region.

Morgan has served as a coach at Brevard Rock Gym since 2017.  She has experience in both climbing and weightlifting.  In addition, Morgan has 14 years of experience in massage therapy with a keen understanding of anatomy, physiology and proper body mechanics which she applies in her climbing instruction.