Great Lakes hires Tom Pier as head women's basketball coach

LANSING, Mich. - Great Lakes Christian College announced today the hiring of Tom Pier as head women's basketball coach.

Pier is a familiar figure in Lansing-area athletics, with decades of experience as a coach and official in the region. Pier has worked for 28 years as a referee for high school and college basketball, football and softball in mid-Michigan and spent 15 years as an AAU coach in the Lansing area, coaching many athletes who went on to play college basketball.

Pier says "I'm very excited for this great opportunity to build the Great Lakes women's program into a basketball power in the Midwest and nationally. My style is wide-open. We will push the ball up the floor and play relentless defense."

From 1991-97 he coached Lansing Community College men's and women's cross country, guiding the program to a period of dominance, including six national championships. Pier was also the athletics director and head women's basketball coach at St. Gerard Catholic in Lansing for seven years.

"Tom was a candidate that immediately stuck to us in the interview process," says athletics director Richard Westerlund. "We felt like we needed someone who was connected, energetic and driven. I am very confident Tom will be able to elevate our women's basketball program and build this program into what we all know it can be. He brings a wealth of experience and is invested in our community. I couldn't be more excited about the future of our women's basketball program."

Pier's immediate goals include building a roster of 15 players for the 2020-21 season with an eye towards further expansion and the development of a JV team.

Pier graduated from Waverly High School and attended LCC from 1989-90, where he ran cross country. He received his EMT certification from LCC in 1990.

Pier lives in Grand Ledge with his wife Marla. He and his wife have three daughters: Chelsea, Haleigh and Kylee. He is also father to three step-children: Freddy, Bobby and Vivian. Pier is a project manager at United Commercial Flooring. He says that he spends his time "reffing, working and at (his) kids' games."