Mariyah Brawner-Henley joined the women's basketball staff as an assistant coach May 17, 2018 after a one-year stint at Northern Illinois University as a Graduate Assistant. She enters her fifth season with the women's basketball program for the 2022-23 campaign.

"I couldn't be more excited to have Mariyah join our staff," Gillespie said. "I had the honor of coaching Mariyah and I know first-hand that she is an intense competitor who will be a great role model for our young women. Mariyah will bring the same work ethic, passion and enthusiasm to our staff that led her to become a three time All American."

A WBCA 30 Under 30 award winner in 2022, Brawner-Henley, played her senior season under the direction of Coach Gillespie at Lewis University where she went on to earn Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year and All-American honors. She helped guide the Flyers to four consecutive NCAA Division II Tournament berths and one GLVC championship. Brawner-Henley finished her career as the greatest women's basketball player in Lewis history, tallying up a school record 1,981 points and 1,282 rebounds. She collected 72 career double-doubles, which ranks second in NCAA history and finished her collegiate playing career with a 106-12 record. She earned All-America status in each of her last three seasons and was a two-time GLVC Player of the Year.

The Evanston, Illinois, native graduated with a bachelor's degree in Sport Management from Lewis University in 2016 and went on to play professionally overseas for Aabyhoj in Denmark. Upon her return to the United States, Brawner-Henley went on to pursue a master's in business administration from Northern Illinois University. She spent the last season working as a graduate assistant for the NIU women's basketball team under another former Lewis University coach, Lisa Carlsen.