The Tulane Green Wave women's basketball team is shaping up its staff with two strong hires.
The Tulane Green Wave women’s basketball team is bolstering its staff for the 2026-27 campaign. Head coach Ashley Langford announced two new assistant coaches, Sam Pierce and Jamia Hazell. Pierce hails from Delaware where he spent four seasons, while Hazell is coming off a graduate assistant stint at James Madison. Hazell will also add the title of director of player development for the Wave.
Pierce helped Delaware transition from the CAA to Conference USA and guided the Blue Hens in their first season in the conference to six conference wins and a tournament win over Kennesaw State in the CUSA Basketball Championship. They had a four-year streak with at least one conference tournament win. He previously spent five seasons as associate head coach at Appalachian State, where he helped guide the Mountaineers to the WBI title in 2018-19 while developing six All-Sun Belt selections. He also founded PA pride, which is a basketball development program in Altoona, Penn. for boys and girls from 2007 to 2014.
"His defensive approach and analytical understanding of the game set him apart in this field,” Langford said in her statement announcing the two hires.
Hazell played for five seasons at James Madison and finished as the all-time leader in games played (157) and scoring with 1,373 career points. In her freshman year, she averaged 9.9 points and 2.6 assists per game, which led to her being named to the 2021 CAA All-Rookie Team. She also helped the Dukes win a CAA championship, and they reached the WBIT in her final two seasons, where they also advanced to the quarterfinal in 2024-25.
Then, she transitioned to coaching as a graduate assistant, helping them capture a Sun Belt title and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2025-26. It’s a reunion, as Langford helped recruit Hazell to JMU in 2020-21, and then faced her as a player when Langford was still with the Stony Brook Seawolves in the first round of the WBIT in 2023-24.
"As long as I can remember, Jamia has always dreamed of becoming a coach," Langford said on Hazell.
Pierce will help shape the defensive identity and bring an analytical approach that made a difference in obtaining the role, while Hazell brings championship pedigree and postseason experience as a coach and player. It helps build a strong foundation for coach Langford as she heads into her third season with Tulane with some momentum and significant hires.