North Central Missouri adds Jessica Maye as Lady Pirates assistant coach

North Central Missouri College added Jessica Maye as assistant women’s basketball coach, giving first-year head coach Arielle Houston another voice as the Lady Pirates prepare for the 2026-27 season. The move was announced July 2 and immediately fills a key seat on a staff that is trying to carry recent success into a new era.

Maye’s role is built to reach well beyond one area of the program. She will help with recruiting, player development, scouting, practice planning and day-to-day operations, a sign that North Central Missouri sees her as a central part of how the Lady Pirates will run from one practice to the next. Her NCMC bio notes experience at both the junior college and NCAA Division II levels, a background that fits a program where roster building and rapid development can shape a season as much as game-night tactics.

Houston’s rise to the top job has been fast but measured. She was elevated to head coach on April 10 after serving as the full-time assistant during the 2025-26 season and as a volunteer assistant for the two seasons before that. The July hire gives her a second staff member as she begins her first full season leading the Lady Pirates, and it comes at a time when the program has momentum worth protecting.

North Central Missouri went 24-8 in 2025-26 and spent much of that season nationally ranked. The year before, the Lady Pirates finished 24-9 and reached the NJCAA Division II national tournament. Those records set a demanding standard for Houston’s first roster construction job, and Maye arrives with responsibilities that touch every part of that process.

Athletic director Nate Gamet said the college was excited to add Maye because of her playing background and coaching experience, while Houston described her as a tremendous addition who brings energy, work ethic and a commitment to helping student-athletes succeed. Maye is also listed as campus activities coordinator, which broadens her reach across North Central Missouri’s campus and ties the basketball program more closely to student life.

The staff page now lists Houston and Maye together, formally giving the Lady Pirates a head coach and assistant coach heading into 2026-27. For a Trenton program that has been competitive deep into the NJCAA landscape, the hire strengthens both the bench and the blueprint.