Competitive Dance
- Title:
- Head Dance Team Coach
- Email:
- maplejv@sfasu.edu
TJ Maple enters his 22nd season as head coach of the Stephen F. Austin Competitive Dance program in 2026-27, having established the Lumberjacks as one of the premier collegiate dance programs in the nation.
Since taking over the program in 2005, Maple has guided SFA to 24 national championships, including the program's first-ever Jazz National Championship in 2026. Under his leadership, the Lumberjacks have consistently competed among the nation's elite while earning titles through the National Dance Alliance (NDA) and American Dance/Drill Team School (ADTS). His teams have also produced dozens of Collegiate All-Americans and have built a reputation for technical excellence, innovation and championship-level performance.
The 2025-26 season marked another historic chapter for the program as SFA captured the NDA Division I Jazz National Championship—the program's 24th national title. Earlier in the year, Maple was recognized with the 2026 Texas Dance Educators Association (TDEA) Lifetime Achievement Award, honoring more than two decades of leadership, innovation and service to the dance profession.
In addition to his success on the competition floor, Maple has become one of the most respected educators in collegiate dance. He serves as an adjunct faculty member in SFA's School of Theatre and Dance, where he helped create the nation's first collegiate minor in dance team coaching and teaches courses in dance team coaching and choreography. He is also the co-founder of the Texas College Dance Team Connection, an organization dedicated to connecting prospective student-athletes with collegiate dance programs across Texas.
Nationally, Maple is a sought-after choreographer, clinician, adjudicator and speaker. He has served as a master instructor and adjudicator for the National Dance Alliance (NDA), American Dance/Drill Team School (ADTS), The Dance Worlds, Ascension Dance and numerous other organizations. A three-time National Dance Coaches Association College Coach of the Year finalist, Maple has presented educational sessions for coaches across the country while helping shape the future of collegiate dance.
Maple earned both his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Master of Science in Kinesiology from Stephen F. Austin. A Louisiana native, he began his coaching career in Southeast Texas before arriving in Nacogdoches, where he has built one of the most decorated competitive dance programs in collegiate athletics. His coaching philosophy centers on developing student-athletes as performers, leaders and people, with an emphasis on continual growth and the pursuit of excellence both on and off the competition floor.
