David Pierre is in his seventh season with the Lady Tigers women’s basketball program and as lead assistant coach.
Under Pierre's defensive direction, the Lady Tigers have finished top five in team defense in the conference in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Pierre works with all aspects of the program, including perimeter player development, recruiting, academic support and opponent scouting. He also serves as the program’s recruiting coordinator. During his time at Grambling State, Pierre has helped the Lady Tigers amass a 51-39 mark in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
In 2017-2018 season, Grambling State finished third in the SWAC standings, but won the SWAC Women's Tournament Championship for the first time since 1999. The Lady Tigers defeated Alcorn State in the quarterfinals, followed by a semifinal win over Texas Southern. Grambling State and rival Southern met in the championship with the Lady Tigers picking up the win and the tournament title. He also was a huge part of Shakyla Hill's success as the junior guard became just the fourth women's basketball player to record a quadruple-double in a victory over Alabama State.
In the 2016-2017 season the Lady Tigers won a share of the regular season SWAC Championship for the first time since 2000 with a record of 14-4 in conference play and earned the #1 seed in the SWAC Tournament. Grambling made its first postseason appearance since 2000 earning a bid to the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) despite falling four points short of a SWAC championship title in the SWAC Tournament. In the first round of the WNIT, Grambling became the first SWAC team to ever win a postseason game, defeating SEC opponent Ole Miss 78-75. The Lady Tigers would fall in the second round to Tulane University.
In 2018-19, the Lady Tigers went 2-1 in the Puerto Rico Classic, picking up signature wins against the Indiana University Hoosiers as well as Loyola Marymount.
Pierre has helped this program jump to major heights from season one (7-11) conference record and (10-20) overall record to year two stint making a remarkable jump to (13-5) conference record and (17-14) overall record with a fourth place finish and advanced to the semi-final game in the SWAC tournament. In his first season at Grambling, Pierre’s responsibilities include recruiting, player development, on-floor coaching, breaking down film, scouting opponents and working with the guards and post players.
He was instrumental in securing a solid 2015-2016 recruiting class when he signed guards Shakyla Hill and Jazmin Boyd, which resulted in the two freshmen receiving All-Conference honors for consecutive seasons. For the 2015-2016 season Shakyla was a BOXTOROW 2nd Team All-American and All-SWAC selection and Jazmin was selected as the SWAC Freshman of the Year. For the 2016-2017 season Hill earned 1st team All-SWAC and BOXTOROW 1st Team All-American honors, averaging 15.0 points per game along with an average of 7.8 rebounds per game. Hill also shot a conference best 48.2% from the field and averaged a conference best 4.2 assists per game and 3.0 steals per game. Boyd was selected as a 2ndTeam All-SWAC pick for the 2016-2017 season, averaging 11.8 points per game and was tied for 3rd in the conference in three-pointers made (50).
Pierre is no stranger to the Lady Tiger program working as a graduate assistant and volunteer coach from 2006-2008 seasons under former head Coach David “Rusty” Ponton. He assisted with practice planning, office organization and post-player development. He also helped coordinate the planning and execution of camps, and organizing team community outreach activities.
Prior to returning to the Lady Tigers coaching staff in 2014, Pierre spent five years as an Intramural Sports Coordinator and coach of several men’s and women’s club teams where he won three women’s and two men’s basketball intramural championships. He also worked with several high schools on player development and instructional basketball fundamental training.
Pierre earned his undergraduate degree in Mass Communication from Grambling State, as well as his Master Degree in Sports Administration. He is married to Latoya Pierre. The couple has one son, Kahlil Jackson, and one daughter, Haley Pierre.
