Prairie View A&M has made a major splash in the HBCU coaching landscape by hiring WNBA legend and Texas Tech Hall of Famer Plenette Pierson. She has joined the women’s basketball coaching staff as an assistant coach. The former WNBA champion brings over two decades of elite basketball experience to Prairie View A&M for the 2024-25 season.
Pierson joins the Lady Panthers after serving as associate head coach at Texas Tech, her alma mater, where she was instrumental in the team’s resurgence. During her tenure, the Lady Raiders posted back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in over a decade and reached the quarterfinals of both the Big 12 Tournament and the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT).
Known for her ability to develop post players and lead recruiting efforts, Pierson helped guide Texas Tech to key wins over top-tier programs including Virginia Tech, Arkansas, and Iowa State. Her influence helped produce All-Big 12 standouts and one of the nation’s top transfer classes.
A former No. 4 overall pick in the 2003 WNBA Draft, Pierson is a three-time WNBA champion and former Sixth Woman of the Year. Her move to Prairie View A&M marks a powerful new chapter for HBCU women’s basketball.
Pierson was hired by new PVAMU head coach Tia Dillard, a former standout at Texas and WNBA veteran. Dillard comes over from the University of Houston, where she helped guide the Cougars to multiple postseason runs. Known for mentoring sharpshooter Laila Blair and excelling in recruitment, Dillard’s leadership is already reshaping Prairie View’s HBCU basketball identity. Her decision to hire Pierson blends pro-level pedigree with high-level collegiate coaching insight.