Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Athletics

Mandy Pearson is the head women’s basketball coach at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, a position she has held since the beginning of the 2007-08 season. Along with her coaching duties, Mandy serves as an instructor in the physical education department on campus.

In 2013-14, Pearson guided the Cardinals to its first MIAC regular-season title since 1985-86. Saint Mary's also reached the title game of the MIAC Tournament for the first time in school history, while also landing a bid in the NCAA national tournament, where they fell to UW-Oshkosh in the regional semifinal.

Saint Mary's finished with 24 wins in 2013-14, tying the school record for wins in a season, while the Cardinal head coach also earned her second straight MIAC Coach of the Year honor.

Pearson has now guided the Cardinals to post-season appearances in each of the last four years—reaching at least the semifinal in all four appearances.

Prior to her arrival at Saint Mary's, Pearson spent two years as the assistant women’s varsity and head women’s junior varsity basketball coach at Hamline University. Along with her coaching duties, she served as the assistant strength and conditioning coach as well as an instructor in the physical education department. While at Hamline, Pearson was a part of the women’s basketball programs first ever play-off appearance.

Pearson completed her undergraduate degree from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn, majoring in Psychology, while also earning minors in sociology, health and coaching. She later received her Master of Arts in Human Development from Saint Mary's University.

During her playing days at Concordia, Pearson received All-American Honors during the 2004-05 season, was the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's Player of the Year during the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons. She was named to the All-MIAC First Team three times, was a D3hoops.com All-West Region first-teamer twice and earned MIAC All-Defensive Team honors on two occasions. Pearson closed her Cobber career with 1,346 points and 640 assists. She is the first player in the history of either basketball program at Concordia to break the 1,000-point barrier and the 500-assist marker. She is fifth on the all-time scoring list and third in assists.