Jeff Webb, the man widely credited with transforming cheerleading into the competitive, athletically demanding sport it is today, has died at the age of 76 following a fall he sustained while playing pickleball.
Varsity Spirit, the largest cheerleading organization in the United States, confirmed Webb’s passing through an official Instagram post.
According to reports, Webb suffered severe head trauma as a result of the fall. His family ultimately made the decision to remove him from life support.
A spokesperson for Varsity Brands, a sportswear company Webb also confounded, confirmed the death and spoke to his lasting influence on the sport.
Beyond cheerleading, Webb made a significant mark in conservative media.
He served as co-publisher and senior news editor of Human Events and acquired the outlet The Post Millennial in 2022. He sold both properties in 2025 to John Solomon, founder of Just the News and a known ally of former President Donald Trump.
“Jeff was a brilliant businessman and entrepreneur and a joyful warrior who made everyone around him better,” Solomon said in a statement following Webb’s death.
“He had a passion for ensuring America’s next generations could carry on the torch of liberty, whether through the creation of the Varsity franchise or through his friendship with Charlie Kirk. He will be sorely missed.”
Human Events senior editor Jack Posobiec also offered remarks. “Jeff was a visionary New Media leader who dreamed big and took action. He believed in the promise of New Media and took a chance on Human Events and The Post Millennial after discussions with Charlie Kirk.
“Jeff’s pivotal contributions to independent media will go down in American history. I will be forever proud to say I worked for him,” Posobiec stated.
Turning Point USA, the conservative youth organization co-founded by Charlie Kirk, released a statement remembering Webb as “a visionary who helped shape generations of young leaders and believed deeply in the power of community and country,” calling him “a dear friend to Turning Point USA and Charlie.”
The organization accompanied its post with a nine-minute video tribute to Webb’s life.
The New York Times previously described Webb’s critics as referring to him as “John D. Rockefeller with glitter” and the “Dark Sith Lord.”
Webb told the paper he was driven not by wealth, but by “discipline and keeping score.”
He was known to own a yacht in Florida, a private jet dubbed “Cheer Force One,” and a duck-hunting estate in Arkansas, according to media reports.
