Former Lady Bear Alissa Adams Hired as Women’s Basketball Assistant Coach

For some in athletics, things come full-circle and for Alissa Adams, her story is no different. A former member of the Lady Bears Basketball team in the mid-2010’s under Head Coach Brent Harris, she is getting a chance to return to Summit, but this time to work alongside Harris after being hired as the new lead Assistant Coach of Southwest Women’s Basketball.

“I’m excited, I’m excited to get back on campus and take on a different role,” she said. “Coach Brent (Harris) and I remained close over the years. I’m excited to work with him as a coach instead of a player. It is an exciting time for me and my family.”

The Kiln-native and Hancock High School alum previously played for Southwest during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. She stood out, becoming a bit of a coach on the floor for Harris.

“I was a point guard so a lot of the offenses that we ran, he kind of would ask my input,” she said. “We did a lot of x’s and o’s as a player. Even when I was coaching at the high school level I did that a little.”

As a player, Adams earned multiple honors including spots on the MACJC All-State Tournament Team and NJCAA All-Region 23 Tournament Team, both in 2017. She was also part of the 2017 MACJC State Runner up team and wrapped the 2016 season 5th in the nation in assists per game and 12th in free throw percentage. Academically she finished with a 3.7 GPA and earned a Presidential Scholarship to Mississippi State, where she graduated in 2019 with a degree in Social Work. In 2017 she was inducted in the SMCC Academic Hall of Fame.

Adams comes to Southwest following a very-successful two-year run at West Lincoln High School in Brookhaven. As head coach, she helped lead the Lady Bears to back-to-back District 7-2A Championships, a Class 2A Final Four appearance in 2021-22 and a Class 2A Elite Eight appearance in 2022-23. She also earned the District 7-2A Coach of the Year honor following the 22-23 season.

Prior to her time at West Lincoln, she served as Head Coach of the Amite School Center Lady Rebels. There she earned a spot on the coaching staff at the MAIS All-Star Game.

Reflecting on her journey to becoming assistant coach of the Lady Bears, Adams said that the want to get into coaching grew quite a bit during her time as a student-athlete at Southwest.

“When I got out of high school, I was Pre-Dentistry and I think that I took every history that Southwest had to offer and I said well ‘I’m not really taking sciences and I don’t really like that, so maybe Dentistry isn’t my thing.’ I went to Mississippi State and I was looking at what I had as coursework and what Bachelor’s I can get that was kind of equivalent. I worked with CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocates) on the coast for a semester. My husband and I then got married and moved to the area and I said that it doesn’t fit the mold of what I want to do. An opportunity came up at ASC and I applied and took it and it kind of went from there.”

Once coaching became a reality for her, Adams said that coaching in college was her ultimate goal. And now that she has become a college coach, she looks back on her time in the high school ranks and is very thankful.

“Getting to the college level, that is just something that has been a priority,” she said. “I didn’t know how quick I could get there. I was working towards that. Personally, it was making it to the college level but I just wanted to make an impact, building that competitive nature and that go-getter attitude in my players.”

Adams believes that once she gets started at Southwest, her transition will be a bit easier due to her familiarity with Coach Harris and his system. “The things that he ran at Southwest were similar to things that I ran in high school,” she said. “His style of play is the style of play that I enjoy, complex yet able to let the kids show what they can do. I think that it will be an easier transition for me.”

In addition to reuniting with Harris, Adams will also do so with Lady Bear Volunteer Assistant Coach Rachel Thompson, who played with Adams on the 2016-17 squad.

Coach Harris, eager and excited to have Adams back in the fold in Summit, said that she checks a lot of boxes when it comes to qualities needed in order to be a successful coach.

“Alissa Adams, was a very talented point guard and a true captain on the floor,” he said. “She is one of the most intelligent players I have ever coached. She, like myself is passionate about the game of basketball and Southwest Mississippi Community College. We are very lucky to have her back at Southwest!”