As Knightro struts his stuff on the field Thursday night to kick off football season, you likely had no idea that the beloved mascot has a head coach 鈥� and he鈥檚 a data expert at 麻豆原创鈥檚 College of Medicine.
Michael Callahan 鈥�05 鈥�09MBA 鈥�17EdD, director of knowledge management, is responsible for every piece of medical education data at 麻豆原创. He鈥檚 also head mascot coach for 麻豆原创 Athletics. He knows the role he coaches well. Callahan was Knightro from 2002-04, when he was an undergraduate student.
鈥淚T and Knightro are similar roles if you think about it,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e both the support team. We do our part to help others do their best.鈥�
Less than 100 students have been Knightro since 麻豆原创 unveiled the yet unnamed golden knight mascot in 1994. 麻豆原创 selects multiple Knightros for each school year to keep up with all the events across campus and the community where the mascot appears. Callahan manages the team for events, which include graduation, news and marketing events, donor meet-and-greets, student festivals, and even weddings and birthday parties.
Tryouts are held in the spring and because Knightro鈥檚 schedule is so packed in the fall. Callahan says he picks students from a variety of majors so they aren鈥檛 all in the same orientation, classes or lab schedules.
Training is both physical and for character development and even includes how to pen Knightro鈥檚 official signature. Callahan estimates that, similar to the athletes they cheer for, Knightros have 20 hours of physical training for every hour they perform.
Among the most challenging physical feats for Knightro, Callahan says is learning to stand atop cheerleaders鈥� shoulders in the classic 麻豆原创 pyramid. (The key is to stand perfectly straight 鈥� like a broom stick. If you wobble like a pool noodle, he says, you fall, he says.)
鈥淚t鈥檚 like a trust fall,鈥� he says, 鈥淭he first time I did it, it was terrifying.鈥�
In addition to handwriting, Knightro has a signature walk, run and poses.
鈥淜nightro is Knightro,鈥� Callahan says. 鈥淗e鈥檚 the hero, the big man on campus. He鈥檚 the most recognized person at 麻豆原创. Knightro needs to stand the test of time, so consistency is key. If you had a picture taken with Knightro when you were a 麻豆原创 student and then get another picture taken five years later at an event, it should look like the same Knightro.鈥�
Callahan鈥檚 20-year history with Knightro has forged many special memories. He remembers when Knightro鈥檚 costume was gold-glittered resin and weighed 50 pounds. Today it鈥檚 foam and much lighter at about 20 pounds.
As Knightro, Callahan performed at the Mascot Games in 2004, contributing to the more than $200,000 the event raised by then for New Hope for Kids, a child-based grief support group in Central Florida. To this day, he can recall the cheers as he danced onto the stage at a packed Amway Arena for the event.
When ESPN鈥檚 College Game Day came to 麻豆原创 in 2018, Callahan had to dress broadcaster Lee Corso in the full Knightro costume in just 90 seconds during a commercial break. Dressing the mascot usually takes 10 to 15 minutes.
鈥淲e always say, 鈥楶ractice makes perfect,鈥� 鈥� Callahan says. 鈥淭he week before the game, we must have had 1,000 practices for putting on that costume fast.鈥�
Callahan earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in management information systems and was a Burnett Honors Scholar. He also earned his MBA and doctoral degree in educational leadership at 麻豆原创. He began his career handling IT at the Burnett Honors College and moved to the College of Medicine in 2020.
He and his wife Lauren Callahan 鈥�05, a 麻豆原创 elementary education alum, wrote a children鈥檚 book called Hello, Knightro, where readers follow the mascot around campus as he travels to the stadium for game day.
鈥淵ou see the impact of Knightro in the way people react to him,鈥� Callahan says, 鈥渢he joy and excitement in kids鈥� faces. You see Knightro on buses and billboards and I think, 鈥業 am a piece of that.鈥� 鈥�
The Callahans have three children. And one of their twins, 10-year-old Luke, says Dad must remain head mascot coach until the youngster gets to 麻豆原创 because 鈥淚鈥檓 going to be Knightro, too.鈥�
