TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Southern Arizona soccer community is mourning the sudden loss of Kelly Pierce, a former player and head coach of FC Tucson Women, as well as a championship-winning high school coach for Salpointe Catholic.
Pierce was a captain and standout player for both Tucson Soccer Academy (TSA) and FC Tucson Women from 2013 to 2018.
She helped lead the team—then known as TSA—to a first-place finish in the WPSL Big Sky North Division in its inaugural 2013 season.
She later served as FC Tucson Women’s head coach from 2019 to 2023, leading the team to two WPSL Desert Conference titles.
“Kelly was a talented and charismatic leader both as a player and a coach,” said FC Tucson Founder and President Jon Pearlman. “She was committed to elevating not just women’s soccer but all women’s sports as a champion for gender equality. Most importantly, Kelly was a devoted mother and fierce advocate for not just her children or young female soccer players, but all children.”
Pierce was also the longtime girls’ soccer coach at Salpointe Catholic High School, where she guided the program to six 4A state championships over eight years—including titles in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2025.
“I first met Kelly as a teammate in 2016 and quickly came to admire her leadership both on and off the field; her strength, resilience, and unwavering dedication stood out not just as a player but as a person," said Caylee Carter, current head coach of FC Tucson Women.
