Ciara Wilson-Santos enters her first season as assistant coach of the Albion softball program in 2026.
Wilson-Santos arrives in Albion after serving as the head varsity softball coach at nearby Battle Creek Central High School for two seasons from 2024-25. She guided the Bearcats through a major rebuild, as the school did not field a team in 2021.
After a three-win campaign in 2024, Wilson-Santos kept BCC competitive in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference as the team showed improvement throughout the 2025 season and earned the first win in the postseason for the program in recent memory.
Wilson-Santos mentored two-time all-city player Journey Sample, who was the lone pitcher on the roster and Team MVP in 2025.
Outside of her assistant coach duties with the Britons, Wilson-Santos is the program director and 12U coach for the On-Deck travel softball organization.
"We are excited to have Coach Wilson-Santos on staff," Britons head coachÂ
Leigh Ann LaFave said. "She brings great enthusiasm, experience and passion for the game to Albion. Having coached for many years, she understands the importance of teamwork, details and culture. She also brings a lot of energy, and our players feed off that daily. She will be a valuable asset in helping this team reach our goals and mission."
A four-year starting outfielder at fellow MIAA school Olivet from 2010-13, Wilson-Santos played in 117 career games and had 56 career RBI and 32 walks – all of which ranked in the top 10 in Comets history at the time of her graduation. She also hit five home runs in 2011, which still ranks in the top 10 in program history.
After graduating with a bachelor's degree in sports/recreation management from Olivet in 2013, Wilson-Santos volunteered her time coaching for the Lansing Waverly Jr. Warriors recreational softball program, Mid-Michigan Chaos travel softball organization and the Haslett Middle School volleyball program. She also continued to play softball recreationally, winning state and national titles with her co-ed and women's slow pitch softball teams.
A Lansing, Mich. native, Wilson-Santos graduated from Everett High School in 2009 where she was a two-time all-conference softball player and played in the Mid-Michigan All-Star Game as a senior. She also played on the Vikings' volleyball team.
Wilson-Santos earned her master's degree in business management from Davenport in 2015 and currently serves as a field premium auditor for Auto Owners Insurance in Lansing.
Her and her partner, Terrance Thompkins, who played football at Olivet, have a four-year-old step son, Ari.
"I'm very excited to be back in the MIAA, but this time as a coach," Wilson-Santos said. "It still feels surreal. I'm very grateful to Coach LaFave and Albion College for this opportunity. I don't think I've stopped smiling since I arrived here. Go Brits!"
