Jessica Grayson enters her third season as an assistant coach for the West Virginia University women’s basketball program. She joined the Mountaineer coaching staff on April 14, 2023.
In the 2024–25 season, Grayson helped guided WVU to a fourth-place finish in the Big 12 and the program’s 16th NCAA Tournament appearance, advancing to the second round. The Mountaineers were ranked in every AP Top 25 poll throughout the season, finishing at No. 21 nationally. Star guard JJ Quinerly capped off the season by becoming the program’s 11th WNBA Draft pick.
During his first season in 2023–24, Grayson led WVU to 25 wins—the most ever by a first-year staff in program history. The team also finished fourth in the Big 12 and earned its 15th NCAA Tournament berth, again reaching the second round. WVU appeared in the AP poll nine times and ended the season ranked No. 24.
Grayson came to West Virginia after serving as the associate head coach and recruiting Coordinator at the University of Missouri-Kansas City last season. She has familiarity with the Big 12 following a stint as the assistant coach at Oklahoma State University during the 2021-22 season.
Overall, she brings 17 years of collegiate coaching experience to the Mountaineer program. Most notably, she has prior experience working with coach Kellogg, serving as the assistant head coach at Stephen F. Austin University from 2016-21. There she helped guide the Ladyjacks to five consecutive 23-plus win seasons and a 122-31 overall record and a 76-12 mark in conference play.
In those five years, Stephen F. Austin qualified for four post-season tournaments, including a trip to the NCAA Tournament, two WNIT appearances and a WBI appearance. The Ladyjacks won one Southland Regular Season and one SLC Tournament title as well as earning the No. 12-seed at the 2021 NCAA Tournament. The seed was the highest for an SLC team since 2011.
Grayson's mentorship over the years developed one All-Big 12 selection, 23 All-SLC performers, one SLC Player of the Year, one SLC Newcomer of the Year, one SLC Tournament MVP, three Missouri Valley All-Conference selections, four Ohio Valley Conference selections and four All-Gulf South Conference performers.
Before Stephen F. Austin, Grayson made stops as an assistant coach at Illinois State (2013-16), Austin Peay (2010-12), and Tennessee Martin (2007-10), along with serving as a graduate assistant at Valdosta State (2005-07).
At Austin Peay, Grayson helped her team to a 50-12 overall record. The mark includes a 30-2 record in the Ohio Valley Conference where the Governors achieved two NCAA Tournament appearances and two OVC Regular Season and Tournament titles.
Grayson has recruited and coached 40 all-conference players during her career while pushing 16 of her players to the 1,000-point mark in their careers.
The McMinnville, Tennessee, native played basketball at Columbia State Community College, earning NJCAA All-American honors. She then transferred to Austin Peay State University, where she graduated in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Human Performance.
At Austin Peay, Grayson helped her team to a 50-12 overall record, including a 30-2 mark in Ohio Valley Conference play. Her play pushed the Governors to two NCAA Tournament appearances, and two OVC Regular Season and Tournament titles.
Grayson also earned her master’s degree in health and physical science at Valdosta State.
