Brandi Hopson is returning to WSSU as an assistant Powerhouse cheer coach, adding another chapter to a journey that has taken her from an HBCU sideline to the Carolina Panthers and Ms. Black USA crown.
Winston-Salem State University announced Hopson’s addition to the Powerhouse of Red and White coaching staff. The appointment comes one week after Hopson was crowned Ms. Black USA on Saturday, Aug. 8.
It is a full-circle return for the 2015 WSSU graduate. Hopson cheered for the Powerhouse during her undergraduate years and later carried that experience into professional cheerleading.
The former Powerhouse captain initially auditioned for the Carolina Panthers TopCats in 2015 but did not make the team. She continued training and eventually earned a spot with the NFL organization in 2021.
Hopson later became a TopCats captain and represented the Carolina Panthers as its 2025 Pro Bowl cheerleader.
Brandi Hopson returns to her HBCU roots
Her professional career included a comeback that tested her physically and personally.
Hopson gave birth to a premature son in January 2024. After both mother and baby recovered, she returned to training, lost the pregnancy weight and successfully auditioned for another season with the TopCats.
She returned to the field for the 2024 Carolina Panthers season before stepping away from the organization.
That final season also allowed Hopson’s two cheerleading worlds to come together. The TopCats performed alongside the WSSU Powerhouse at Bowman Gray Stadium during the Rams’ football game against Shaw University.
“It was a full-circle moment,” Hopson told HBCU Gameday following the performance. “Just happy to have both my families at my home — Winston-Salem State University — it’s the best feeling ever.”
Now Hopson will help coach the next generation of Powerhouse cheerleaders under head coach NeSheila Washington.
Her addition gives WSSU an assistant coach who understands the program’s HBCU stomp-and-shake tradition and the demands of professional cheerleading. She also brings experience balancing competition, motherhood, work and public representation.
The new role follows Hopson’s rise through the pageant world. She represented North Carolina nationally after earning the Ms. Black North Carolina USA title. Her “Mentorship in Motion” platform focuses on mentorship and personal development.
That platform now aligns directly with her return to WSSU.
Hopson left the Powerhouse as a student and reached one of the NFL’s biggest stages. She returns as Ms. Black USA and an assistant coach with an opportunity to help other WSSU cheerleaders pursue their own goals.