UTEP Miners

Jareica Hughes returned to her Alma Mater on May 19, 2023, after most recently serving as an interim head coach at Colby Community College in Colby, Kan. In addition to traditional basketball duties, she aided in academic support and strength and conditioning.

Before CCC Hughes was the head coach for freshmen and junior varsity and assistant coach for varsity basketball at Birmingham Groves HS from 2020-21. Prior to that she was the junior varsity head coach and varsity assistant coach at Southfield High School of the Arts and Technology for four years (2016-20). The team reached the final four of the state tournament twice during her tenure, including a trip to the championship game in 2019.
 
Hughes also has experience at the AAU level, serving as a head coach for the ninth grade Michigan Storm (2017-21).
 
Hughes played for the Miners from 2006-2010 and was one of the players that helped put UTEP women's basketball on the map. During her tenure, UTEP won a conference championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time. She was a two-time C-USA Player of the Year (2008,2009) and three-time All-Conference selection (2008,2009,2010). Hughes led the team in scoring and assists in all four seasons, and in steals and free-throw percentage on three occasions.
 
In her first campaign at UTEP she was named 2007 C-USA Freshman of the Year after leading the team to its first 20-win season (22-8). As a sophomore, Hughes helped the Miners to a then school-record 28 wins (28-4). The team recorded 23 consecutive wins and became the first C-USA women's team to go undefeated in league play (16-0) on the way to claiming the program's first conference championship. That year they routed WKU 92-60 in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament after receiving an at-large bid.
 
Hughes still holds the school records in career assists (599), steals (277), and minutes played (3,777), while ranking second in points (1,555), made free throws (359), and games started (114). She is third all-time in field goals made (527) and fourth in three-pointers (142).
 
She was inducted into the UTEP Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018 and is a member of the UTEP Women's Basketball Centennial team.

Hughes graduated from UTEP with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice.