William Carey didn’t have to look far to find a new women’s basketball coach.
The program announced Wednesday that Jessica Garriga has been promoted to head coach after serving as an assistant coach for the past 10 seasons. She takes over for longtime head coach Tracy English, who decided to focus on his role as athletic director after a perfect 2024-25 regular season.
“We are so excited to name Jessica as our fifth women’s basketball coach at William Carey,” English said. “I believe that she is the person who will take us to the next level. Jess loves the game and this university. That, along with her work ethic and knowledge of coaching basketball, puts our program in great hands.”
The Crusaders, who went 25-0 before falling in the second round of the NAIA Tournament, will look to build on that success under Garriga, who has a history with the program that dates back well before her clipboard days.
Garriga first arrived at William Carey in 2001 as a transfer point guard from Pearl River Community College after getting injured during her freshman year at Southern Miss. She played two years as a Crusader and was a 2003 all-conference selection. She rejoined the Crusader program in 2015 as an assistant coach and has been part of two conference championships.
Before her promotion, Garriga was named the 2024-25 NAIA Assistant Coach of the Year by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. Other accolades for Garriga have included being selected to attend the NAIA Governance and Leadership Academy and the Southern States Athletic Conference’s Woman of the Year, but according to her, none tops being named head coach of her alma mater.
“I’m incredibly honored to be chosen as the new women’s basketball coach at my alma mater,” Garriga said. “I’d like to thank our administration for this amazing opportunity. From the president’s office, the campus staff, and the players, the support here is second to none. I’m excited to continue the tradition of this program and look forward to getting to work immediately. I want to say a special thank you to my family for being so patient and allowing me to chase my dreams.”
Garriga, a native of Kiln, also serves as an assistant athletic director at William Carey. The Crusaders will begin the 2025-26 season in November.
