Pensacola State hires Kayla Gordon to lead Lady Pirates program

Pensacola State named Kayla Gordon the next head coach of the Lady Pirates on July 14, putting a Division I recruiter with deep southeastern ties in charge of a program coming off a 15-14 season. The move gave the school an immediate reset point for the 2026-27 cycle and a coach whose background fits the college game’s current demands: roster management, relationship building and rapid player development.

Gordon arrives with a résumé that stretches across Oxford and Jacksonville. Ole Miss listed her as its recruiting coordinator and assistant coach in 2024-25 after three seasons on staff at Jacksonville University, where she had first returned in July 2021. Jacksonville’s bio identifies her as one of the program’s standout players, its all-time leading rebounder and a member of the rare 1,000-point, 1,000-rebound club. Those credentials matter for Pensacola State because the Lady Pirates need a coach who can evaluate talent quickly, sell a program in recruiting and translate that into production on the floor.

Her playing background also gives Pensacola State a coach who understands what it takes to win in the region. Ole Miss says Gordon is a Meridian, Mississippi native and a Meridian High School graduate who was the 2012 Region 5-6A Player of the Year, a three-time all-conference selection and a two-time Clarion Ledger Dandy Dozen pick. Local coverage noted that she helped Ole Miss assemble one of the nation’s top transfer portal classes and was part of a run that included wins over LSU, Kentucky and Vanderbilt, along with a Sweet 16 appearance in the 2024-25 season.

That track record matches Pensacola State’s immediate needs. The Lady Pirates showed some pieces late in the year, with Cassidy Gladney and Tamya Hutchinson earning All-Panhandle recognition on March 10, and the team pushed Gulf Coast State to the wire in an 82-81 home loss on March 2. But the 15-14 finish also showed a roster still searching for consistency, and Gordon’s arrival offers the kind of structure that can sharpen both the returners and the recruiting board before fall practice begins.

Pensacola State’s release said Gordon thanked President Ed Meadows and Athletic Director Bryan Lewallyn for the opportunity, a detail that underscored how firmly the college is backing the hire. The Lady Pirates now have a coach whose playing career, assistant-coaching stops and recruiting work all point toward the same task: turning a capable NJCAA roster into a more complete regional contender.