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Kellis Dack named Interim Head Coach for Pierce Women’s Basketball
Posted: Sep 06, 2024

Kellis Dack named Interim Head Coach for Pierce Women’s Basketball

LAKEWOOD, Wash. - Kellis Dack has been named Interim Head Coach of the Pierce College Women's Basketball program. Dack becomes the 20th head coach in the 46 year history of the program.

Dack served as an assistant for the Raiders in 2022-23, under former head coach Marquessa Gilson. Gilson left the program earlier this summer, after two years with the program, to join the staff at Adams State University.

"I am very excited to be the interim head coach at Pierce College this season," said Dack. "I'm looking forward to continuing the great work that Coach Gilson has already started." Dack added, "I am excited to step up to this new challenge and get to work with this group of athletes. I believe I will be able to continue the success that the program has had over the last two seasons."

Dack began her coaching career as a graduate assistant at Pacific Lutheran University for the 2021-22 season.  Following her one season with the Lutes, she joined the Raiders staff for the 2022-23 season, helping lead the team to a 4th Place finish in the West, and the program's first NWAC playoffs appearance since 2011-12.  Dack left Pierce to become the head coach at Todd Beamer High School (Federal Way, WA) for the 2023-24 season, before returning to Pierce for the upcoming season.  She also coaches AAU ball with the Northwest Blazers the past three years.

"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to bring Kellis back to the program.  Especially, given the timing of Coach Gilson's departure," stated Athletic Director Duncan Stevenson. "Her familiarity with our players and our program makes her the perfect fit to continue building on the foundation established over the past two years. Her enthusiasm to take on this challenge is spreading throughout the program."

The Raiders are coming off back-to-back NWAC playoff appearances. It was the first time the team had qualified for consecutive post season appearances since the '93-'94 and '94-'95 seasons. Last season, the Raiders finished in 3rd Place in the West, with a record of 8-4.

Dack attended the University of Redlands, and walked on to the women's basketball team. She played in 25 games as a freshman before earning a spot as a starting guard/forward in her sophomore and junior seasons.  Unfortunately, her senior season was cut short by the COVIC pandemic, in 2020-21.  In her three full seasons with the Bulldogs, she helped lead the team to three consecutive SCIAC post season berths, and in her junior year helped lead Redlands to the SCIAC post-season tournament title, and their first-ever NCAA Tournament win – an upset victory against #8 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Coach Dack earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from University of Redlands (2021), and her Master of Arts in Education from PLU (2022). She currently teaches chemistry at Todd Beamer High School.