Kayla Hughes joined Coastal Carolina in November 2025 as a Learning Specialist in Student-Athlete Academic Services. In this role, she works with student-athletes across various sports, helping them build and strengthen academic skills such as organization, writing, comprehension, and critical thinking. Kayla also serves as the Academic Coordinator for the men’s and women’s tennis teams.
Before joining Coastal, Kayla served as a Learning Specialist and Tutor Coordinator at Florida State University, where she began as an Academic Advising Fellow for track & field before transitioning into her full-time role. Prior to Florida State, she worked at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga as Tutor Coordinator and Assistant Academic Advisor for football.
Kayla earned her M.S. in Sport Management from the University of West Georgia, where she was a member of the softball team and served as a graduate assistant. She also holds a B.S. in Special Education from Tennessee Technological University, where she was also a member of the softball team.
Kayla strives to support student-athletes as they grow into the best versions of themselves – on the field, on the court, in the classroom, and in life
