A former Hillsdale College women’s basketball player is returning to campus in a new role for the 2025-26 season.
Sophia Pierce, a 2022 graduate of Hillsdale College and a former guard on the Chargers basketball team for four seasons from 2018 to 2022, has been hired as an assistant women’s basketball coach for the upcoming 2025-26 season, and will work to develop future generations of Hillsdale stars on the hardwood where she once played.
“I was lucky enough to get to coach Sophia as a senior in my first year as an assistant here at Hillsdale, and I’ve always respected her work ethic and basketball IQ,” said Hillsdale College women’s basketball head coach Brianna Brennan. “We stayed in touch over the last three years as she started her coaching career and I was able to see her grow very quickly as a coach in that time.
“Having seen her journey and what she’s already accomplished, hiring her was a no-brainer for us when she applied. It doesn’t hurt that as an alumni of the school and this program, she comes in with a real understanding of what this place is, the kind of players we have and the culture we’re trying to build. That’s going to allow her to hit the ground running.”
Pierce is excited to return to her alma mater and to get to work with a staff she knows well.
“Having played under Brianna Brennan for my final season, I know what a great person and a great coach she is, and that was a big reason I wanted to come back,” Pierce said. “It’s huge to get to join a staff with two great coaches who’ve got this program to a strong place in the last couple of years.
“I’m really excited to be a part of Hillsdale College women’s basketball again and to contribute however I am able.”
A native of Grabill, Indiana and a graduate of Leo High School, Pierce was recruited by former head coach Matt Fritsche and enrolled at Hillsdale midway through the 2018-19 school year. Over four years with the Chargers, she played in 48 games, contributing as a senior to a 13-14 finish that represented a nine-win turnaround from the previous season. That 2021-22 campaign was the first major step in a rebuild that saw the Chargers finish runner-up in the G-MAC and earn their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2018 this past season.
“I’m looking forward to coming back and being at Hillsdale again,” Pierce said. “It’s a place I’m familiar with from my four years here, and while it’s a different role than as a player, I still feel like my playing experience helps me understand the ins and outs of the program better, and that’s something I can use to help our players.”
After graduating from Hillsdale with a degree in Sociology and a minor in Psychology in May of 2022, Pierce landed an assistant coaching job at Aurora University, a Division III program in Illinois.
Working under Aurora head coach Ryan Rebsom, Pierce helped the Spartans excel during her three seasons in Illinois, as Aurora posted three straight winning records from 2022 to 2025, including back-to-back 20-plus win seasons for the first time in the program’s history.
While working at Aurora, Pierce also got valuable experience working as an instructor for three straight summers with Point Guard College camps, one of the top camps for youth perimeter players in the country. She also received valuable experience running her own squad while serving as head coach of the Aurora junior varsity team, and as the 16U regional head coach for the M14 AAU Program in the summer of 2024.
“Sophia’s work with Point Guard College and her experience as an instructor are going to make her a real asset for us in terms of developing our skills and the potential of our guards in particular,” Brennan said. “She’s really going to help our point guards build the mindset necessary to succeed at this level, and she’s also going to be taking charge of our defense.
“I’m really excited to see her perspective and what she can bring to the table to help us continue to grow.”
Pierce’s ties to Hillsdale are deep and go beyond just her playing career with the Chargers. Her younger sister, Chloe, is an important player on the Hillsdale College volleyball team, entering her fourth season with the Chargers in the fall of 2025.
Along with her bachelor’s degree from Hillsdale, Pierce also completed a Masters of Business Administration from Aurora University in May of 2024.
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