Kayla Gordon to Lead PSC Women's Basketball Program

Pensacola State College has named Kayla Gordon as head coach of the Lady Pirates women's basketball program, bringing a reputation for elite player development, high-level recruiting, relationship-driven leadership and proven ability to cultivate winning cultures. 

During her collegiate coaching career, Gordon has helped lead teams to NCAA tournament appearances, has contributed to wins over nationally ranked opponents and has helped develop multiple all-conference players and Women's National Basketball Association draft selections. 

She arrives at PSC following two successful seasons at the University of Mississippi, where she served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. During her time with the Rebels, she helped assemble one of the nation's top transfer portal classes, contributed to multiple nationally ranked victories, including wins over LSU, Kentucky and Vanderbilt, and played an integral role in the program's NCAA Tournament appearances, including the 2024-25 Sweet 16. 

"I am honored and humbled to be named the next head coach at Pensacola State College. I want to sincerely thank President Ed Meadows and Athletic Director Bryan Lewallyn for believing in me and entrusting me with the opportunity to lead the Lady Pirates basketball program," she said. 

A native of Meridian, Miss., Gordon is no stranger to collegiate athletics in Florida. From 2014 to 2018, she starred at Jacksonville University, where she became one of the most decorated players in program history. She surpassed both 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds, and she remains the program's all-time leading rebounder. She earned Atlantic Sun Conference Freshman of the Year honors, was ASUN Defensive Player of the Year, First-Team All-Conference and a two-time ASUN Winner for Life selection, and helped lead the Dolphins to an ASUN Conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. 

She also spent three seasons playing professional basketball in Europe, including one season with Kronos in Greece, where she set a team single-game record with 31 rebounds, and two seasons divided among teams in Spain, Portugal and Finland. She then returned to Jacksonville University, where she joined the staff as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for three years before moving to the program at Ole Miss. 

"Kayla's experience as a highly accomplished student-athlete, professional and coach obviously brings tremendous value. She holds records as a Division I student-athlete and as a professional player, and she has coaching experience in the Southeastern Conference. The resume itself is impressive, but what stood out the most to us was her passion for developing young women,"  said Pensacola State College Athletic Director Bryan Lewallyn. 

"All the feedback we received kept coming back the same: she invests in and develops young women to be women of integrity and character because that's who she is. She shares our commitment to developing leaders who excel in competition, in the classroom, and in life," he said. "We are excited to welcome Kayla to PSC as the leader of our women's basketball program." 

Gordon is passionate about mentoring young women on and off the court and believes the college experience should develop leaders as much as athletes. 

"My goal is to build a culture that develops champions on the court and leaders in life. We will be a program rooted in discipline, accountability, toughness and daily growth," she said. "I want our student-athletes to leave Pensacola State not only as better basketball players but as confident young women who are prepared to make an impact wherever life takes them." 

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Jacksonville University and a Master of Science in Health Informatics from Liberty University. 

"I am beyond excited to get to work, serve this community, and represent Pensacola State with excellence," said Gordon, who begins her duties immediately as preparations continue for the 2026-2027 season. 

"Pensacola State has a proud tradition, and I am honored to lead the next chapter of Lady Pirates basketball." 

The Pensacola State Lady Pirates concluded their 2025-2026 season with a 15-14 record.