Sharp, a 2026 Bulldog Hall of Honor inductee, began her Gulf Coast journey as a student athletic trainer from 2004-06. She returned after college as a graduate assistant, later served as assistant athletic trainer and, in 2015, became the Bulldogs’ head athletic trainer.

During 10 years in that role, Sharp oversaw the care, treatment and rehabilitation of Gulf Coast student-athletes across the college’s athletic programs. She led operations in a state-of-the-art athletic training facility equipped for treatment, rehabilitation and recovery, working alongside the athletic trainers and physical therapist provided through Gulf Coast’s longtime partnership with Encore Rehabilitation.

Sharp’s dedication to the profession and to Gulf Coast’s student-athletes earned recognition from her peers across the state. She was named the MACCC Athletic Trainer of the Year for 2023-24, an honor voted on by fellow athletic trainers throughout the conference.

A 2006 Gulf Coast graduate, Sharp continued her education at The University of Southern Mississippi, where she worked as a student athletic trainer with the Golden Eagles’ football, women’s basketball and tennis teams. She earned a bachelor’s degree in athletic training in 2008 and a master’s degree in sports management in 2010. Her professional career also included a year as athletic trainer at Pass Christian High School before she returned to Gulf Coast.

Sharp’s career at Gulf Coast spanned 17 years, but her impact reaches far beyond that. For generations of Bulldogs, she was a trusted presence on the sidelines, in the training room and throughout the recovery process, helping student-athletes get healthy, return to competition and continue doing what they loved.

Sharp and her husband, Brad, have two children, Bree and Brody.

This Homecoming, Gulf Coast proudly welcomes Dana Sharp into the 2026 Bulldog Hall of Honor.