Grand Canyon head coach Ann Pierson earned her 500th career victory on Friday night, in a 13-5 run-rule victory over Idaho State.
As the Lopes’ veteran head coach celebrates her milestone win, here are Five Fast Facts to know about her.
1. She is the only head coach in GCU program history.
Pierson has led the Lopes for nearly two decades, after debuting the program in 2004. A former assistant coach, the GCU position is also the only head coaching position of her career.
2. She is a two-time WAC Coach of the Year.
Pierson led the Lopes through the transition from Division II to Division I in 2014, and she has earned a pair of Coach of the Year awards since her team arrived in the D1 Western Athletic Conference.
3. She led the Lopes to a conference title in their first season in Division 1.
After beginning their transition to Division I in 2014, the Lopes made an immediate impact at the D1 level as they won the WAC title in their first year of competition. The Lopes were ineligible for postseason play due to the divisional transition, but were recognized as conference champions.
4. She is a member of the Arizona Softball Hall of Fame.
In addition to her eighteen seasons as GCU’s head coach, Pierson spent seven seasons on staff at Arizona State and enjoyed a standout playing career with the Sun Devils. She was inducted into the ASU Hall of Fame in 2006 and into the Arizona Softball Hall of Fame in 2018.
5. She owns a .550 career winning percentage.
Pierson reached the 500-win milestone in her 905th career decision as a head coach, giving her a .550 winning percentage. Under her guidance, the Lopes have averaged nearly 28 wins a year.
