Faculty Category: Staff

LEIGHANNE BUCHANAN

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The Art of Life, Associate Director
Work Email: lbuchanan@cumberland.edu
Work Phone: 615-547-1356
Location: Memorial Hall, Room 200D
Category: Staff
Degrees:
B.S., University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Bio:

Ms. Buchanan holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She has a certificate from the International Association of Yoga Therapists (C-IAYT), is an RYT-500 with the Yoga Alliance, and has two decades of experience teaching yoga. As the co-owner of Bloom Yoga Studio in Lebanon, TN, she instructs classes open to the community, and as the director of the Bloom Yoga School, she trains yoga teachers. Throughout the years, Ms. Buchanan has pursued ongoing-education in many areas of mindfulness, such as yoga for resiliency and trauma and stress-management through breath and meditation, and she has been an active member of the Yoga Society of Nashville, having served on its board for eight years.

SPENCER CLAYPOOL

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E-Sports Head Coach
Work Email: sclaypool@cumberland.edu
Work Phone: (615) 547-1212
Location: Dallas Floyd Phoenix Arena
Category: Staff
Department: Athletic Department
Degrees:
B.S., Kentucky Wesley College
M.S., Cumberland University
Bio:

Spencer Claypool begins his first year as head coach in Esports at Cumberland and will participate in his inaugural season in the fall of 2021.

Claypool will have the opportunity to start the program from the ground up. Cumberland will compete in a wide number of different game titles. The following represents some of the most popular game titles played at NACE institutions: League of Legends, Overwatch, Smite, Paladins, Hearthstone, Rocket League, Super Smash Bros, FIFA, NBA2k, and Madden. CU will choose exactly which games the Phoenix will participate in at a later date.

Cumberland plans to pave a path for the Middle Tennessee area in the Esports community. There are currently only four other universities that offer Esports, but none in the Middle Tennessee region: East Tennessee State University, King University, Bethel University, and Milligan University.

Claypool spent four years at Kentucky Wesleyan College in Owensboro, Ky. where he held several positions around campus. He spent time as a Resident Assistant, Student Ambassador, Student Admissions Counselor, a member of the Football team, and an Athletic Trainer.

During his time at Cumberland as a Graduate assistant in the sports information office, Claypool handled the responsibilities of the day-to-day reporting on athletics teams including game notes and stories, game and season stats, and postgame information. He assisted in handling all of the department’s weekly and gameday social media graphics as well as managing social media accounts. Claypool also created web and advertising graphics for GoCumberlandAthletics.com and created gameday programs for several sports.

He earned his Bachelor’s of Science in Biology degree from Kentucky Wesleyan College in April of 2019 and graduated from the master’s program for Exercise and Sports Science at Cumberland in 2021.

 

TYLER BENNETT

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Head Athletic Trainer
Work Email: tbennett@cumberland.edu
Work Phone: (615) 547-1232
Location: Football Athletic Training Building
Category: Staff
Department: Athletic Department, Athletic Training Preceptors
School: The Jeanette C. Rudy School of Nursing Health Professions Athletic Training Preceptors
Degrees:
B.S., Kent State University
M.S., Tennessee Technological University
Bio:

Tyler Bennett serves as a full-time assistant in Athletic Training at Cumberland after spending two years at Tennessee Tech. He oversees athlete care, injury prevention, evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation for football, men’s volleyball, track and field and cross country at CU.

Bennett was a graduate assistant at Tennessee Tech, assisting the Head Athletic Trainer with football for the Golden Eagles, including athlete care, injury prevention, evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation. He scheduled office appointments for injured student-athletes with the team physician and assisted with pre-participation physicals and student-athlete drug testing as well as packing travel trunks and field set-up at away football games. Bennett also provided coverage for men’s tennis home matches and out-of-season coverage for women’s soccer practices and matches at TTU.

He is a member of the National Athletic Training Association and the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.

Bennett received his bachelor’s in Athletic Training from Kent State in December 2013 and earned his master’s in Exercise Science with a concentration in Sports Management from Tennessee Tech in May 2016.

Bennett and his wife, Catherine, reside in Lebanon with their dogs Braxton and Sadie. They are expecting their first child in December. 

 

VIRGINIA (JENNY) BENNETT

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Director of Major GIfts
Work Email: jbennett@cumberland.edu
Work Phone: (615) 547-1241
Location: Catron Alumni House
Category: Staff
Department: Office of Advancement
Degrees:
B.A., Cumberland University
M.B.A., Cumberland University
Bio:

Jenny Bennett is a proud Cumberland alum, receiving both her BA and MBA at CU. Jenny serves the Advancement Office as the Director of Major Gifts.  Jenny provides strategic leadership for the Advancement Office and is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding key prospects for the university’s philanthropic priorities. She collaborates closely with the Advancement team and University Administration to develop donor-centered fundraising strategies that will help advance Cumberland’s priorities and mission.

Jenny is married with two children, Will and Laurel. They both love Cumberland and plan to attend one day just like their mom! 

KATIE ARNOLD

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Assistant Athletic Director, Director of Athletic Training, and Senior Woman Leader
Work Email: karnold@cumberland.edu
Work Phone: (615) 547-1334
Location: Dallas Floyd Phoenix Arena
Category: Staff
Department: Athletic Department
Degrees:
B.S., Cumberland University
M.A.E., Cumberland University
D.H.Ed., A.T. Still University
Bio:
Dr. Katie Arnold begins her 18th year at Cumberland University in 2024-2025. Arnold is in her second year as the Assistant Athletic Director taking on a new role in addition to the Director of Athletic Training and Senior Woman Leader. Dr. Arnold oversees the athletic side of the Athletic Training Department. Dr. Arnold has served as a graduate assistant athletic trainer, assistant athletic trainer, Interim Head Athletic Trainer/AT Program Director and AT Program Director at her alma mater.
Dr. Arnold will be responsible for managing all aspects of eligibility compliance and academics, including education, monitoring, and enforcing NAIA and Mid-South Conference Rules. She is also responsible for student eligibility and retention as well as scheduling and monitoring class attendance for the more than 700 student-athletes in the Cumberland Athletic Department.

As the Director of Athletic Training, Dr. Arnold is responsible for making sure that there is appropriate athletic training staff to provide high-quality care for student-athletes. She oversees all administrative tasks required, organizes athletic department physicals, oversees the drug testing program for student-athletes, and assists the Head Athletic Trainer and staff Athletic Trainers in providing medical care to the athletic department.

Dr. Arnold has provided coverage at some point for all teams at CU. However, her primary coverage was with the wrestling program from 2006-13, men’s and women’s tennis and men’s soccer from 2009-13, and football and men’s and women’s golf programs in 2008-09.

The Jacksboro, Tenn. native, earned both her undergraduate and master’s degrees from Cumberland University. She has a bachelor’s in Physical Education with an emphasis in Athletic Training (2006) and a master’s in Education (2008). She received her doctorate in Health Education from A. T. Still University in Kirsksville, Mo. in 2017.

SECRET ABERNATHY

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Assistant Director of Student Financial Services
Work Email: sabernathy@cumberland.edu
Work Phone: (615) 453-6303
Location: Memorial Hall, Room 108F
Category: Staff
Department: Office of Enrollment, Admissions, and Student Financial Services

KYLE ALLEN

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Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information
Work Email: kyleallen@cumberland.edu
Work Phone: (615) 547-1350
Location: Dallas Floyd Phoenix Arena
Category: Staff
Department: Athletic Department
Degrees:
B.S., Cumberland University
M.A., Cumberland University
Bio:

Former Cumberland baseball player, Kyle Allen begins his fifth year as the Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information in 2023-24. He is responsible for a variety of professional tasks related to the planning, organization, operation, and management of the marketing, promotion, and sports information/media relations of the athletic department.

He and his staff are also responsible for the upkeep of the athletic website which includes updating bios and statistics for the more than 700 current student-athletes at Cumberland. The Sports Information Department staff, which consists of two graduate assistants, continues to add historical information found through research and sorting through old documents, including rosters, schedules, results, and awards.

Allen overhauled Cumberland Sports Network in his first two years with new scoreboard graphics, multi-camera angles, and higher quality production for viewer’s to further enjoy all home Cumberland sporting events.

Allen was named the Mid-South Conference Sports Information Director of the Year twice (2022 & 2023). He and his staff have won eight NAIA-SIDA awards in the last two years for a conglomerate of things: graphic design, video, game notes, broadcast, athletics website, etc.

He has been a member of the College Sports Information Directors of America since 2019 as well as the Tennessee Sports Writers Association member.

Prior to working as the Sports Information Director, Allen spent time as the graduate assistant in the athletic department at CU, Allen helped with class attendance, organization of athletic department activities including Leadership Training in August for all student-athletes, as well as game management and marketing efforts.

Between his time as a GA and taking on the role of SID at Cumberland, he spent a brief stint with the Nashville Sounds working as an Stadium Operations Associate.

The Marietta, Ga., native was a four-year letterwinner under Hall of Fame coach Woody Hunt and was a freshman on the 2014 national championship team, collecting two doubles and one triple in just 14 at-bats in three starts that season.

He played in 20 contests as a sophomore, recording two doubles, one home run and four RBIs in 30 at-bats. His best offensive campaign was during his junior season, batting .252 with eight doubles, one homer, and 22 RBIs in 43 games. Allen posted three doubles, three home runs, and 10 RBIs with an on-base percentage of .376 in just 69 at-bats as a senior.

Allen received a bachelor’s degree in Health and Human Performance with an emphasis on Exercise Science from Cumberland in May 2017 and finished his master’s in Sport Management at Cumberland in May 2019.

He is married to the former Kaylee Cantrell of Smithville, Tenn., and the couple has one daughter – Blakelee.

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