Erin Hughes was hired as the ninth head coach of the women's basketball program on May 4, 2026.
Hughes comes to South Hill after a two-year stint as an assistant coach with Trinity College (Conn.). Competing in the premiere Division III women's basketball conference, the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), Hughes helped guide the Bantams to an overall record of 35-18, which included a trip to the second round of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship in 2024-25.
Prior to Hughes joining the staff at Trinity, she coached at her alma mater, Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Va. from 2021-24. The Generals amassed 71 victories during that stretch, which was highlighted by a 29-3 campaign and an appearance in the Round of Eight in 2023-24. Washington & Lee won two Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) titles and played in three NCAA Tournaments with Hughes on staff.
Hughes was recognized as a Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) 2023-24 Thirty Under 30 honoree, which recognizes 30 up-and-coming women's basketball coaches aged 30 years and under at all levels of the game.
She also received the exclusive distinction as a 2023 Fellow of the Tara Vanderveer Fund for the Advancement of Women in Coaching, earning a grant from the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF), which helps support assistance with living expenses, professional development and mentorship for women's collegiate coaches on the rise in the profession.
As a student-athlete at Washington & Lee, Hughes was a WBCA Honorable Mention All-American as a senior and was the ODAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 – the first in program history. She set the school record for single season steals, still ranks 15th all-time in scoring and remains with the top 10 in 3-point percentage, free throw percentage and steals.
Hughes graduated with a bachelor's degree in cognitive & behavioral sciences, with minors in women, gender & sexuality studies and poverty & human capability in 2021.
