Former Southern Miss team captain and three-time letterwinner Lauren Gross returns to Hattiesburg as head coach Missy Bilderback’s assistant coach for the 2025-26 season.
Gross, a Mississippi native and two-time graduate of Southern Miss, is no stranger to the Hub City, having spent four seasons as a member of the Lady Eagles before finishing her career at ULM.
“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to return to Hattiesburg,” said Gross. “This city and this university feel like a second home to me. My time here played a significant role in shaping who I am—both as a person and as a coach. I want to sincerely thank Coach Bilderback for giving me the chance to complete my playing career and begin my journey in coaching. Having the opportunity to work alongside her and the rest of the staff in a place that means so much to me is truly special. I’m excited to see what this year holds and what we can accomplish together with the strong support system we have in place. Southern Miss To The Top!
Gross spent last season working under Bilderback as ULM’s director of player development, a role she assumed after leading the Warhawks to a Postseason WNIT Great Eight finish in 2023-24. It was Gross’ first season as a Division I assistant coach after wrapping up her six-year collegiate career.
“We are super grateful to have Lauren join our staff here at Southern Miss,” said Bilderback. “She loves this university and the Hattiesburg community. Lauren has a unique perspective as a former Lady Eagle and also a former player and staff member with us as well. She has tremendous maturity, attention to detail, work ethic and knowledge of the game that make her a rising star in this profession. I am thankful she has chosen to come home to Southern Miss and go on this exciting journey with us!”
The Southaven, Miss., native first arrived in Hattiesburg ahead of the 2019-20 season after transferring from North Florida. After sitting out and taking a redshirt in her sophomore campaign due to NCAA transfer rules, she debuted in the Black & Gold in the 2020-21 season, playing 13.1 minutes per game.
Her contributions increased in 2021-22 where she played in 23 games and made four starts for the Lady Eagles. She was named as the team’s captain for the 2022-23 season where she started in all 31 games for the Sun Belt Conference regular season champions. During this stretch, Gross completed her bachelor’s degree in sport and fitness administration/management in 2021, her master’s degree in sport and fitness administration/management in 2022 and played the 2022-23 campaign while working on her doctorate, just one of two players in NCAA Division I to do so.
While with Southern Miss, she twice earned the Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Medal and was named to the Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll once.
She transferred to ULM for the 2023-24 season, again starting in every game for the Warhawks and playing an instrumental role on and off the court for Coach Bilderback’s first ULM squad. Her efforts helped the Warhawks to a Great Eight finish in the Postseason WNIT, marking the program’s best postseason performance in nearly 20 years.
Before her successful collegiate career, Gross prepped at Northpoint Christian School in Southaven. She helped her teams to a 113-15 mark across her career while recording 1,654 points, 738 points, 394 assists and 313 steals as a starter. She led the school to two state titles and four consecutive final fours with two nods on the State All-Tournament Team. She also earned the Commercial Appeals’ Best of Preps award three times.
Gross resides in Hattiesburg and is the daughter of Stephen and Chelle Gross of Southaven, Miss. The Gross family is well-represented across college athletics in Mississippi. Lauren’s brother, Michael, currently serves as the Voice of the Statesman at Delta State while her sister, Maycee, is a member of the beach volleyball team at William Carey.
https://southernmiss.com/news/2025/5/23/womens-basketball-bilderback-names-gross-assistant-coach
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