Former Kansas women’s basketball coach Marian Washington is a finalist for Hall of Fame
LAWRENCE — Former Kansas women’s basketball coach Marian Washington is a finalist for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for a second-straight time.
Washington, who’d be a part of the class of 2024, is one of 14 finalists in the running. She’s joined by other legends in the sport such as Vince Carter, Michele Timms and Jerry West. And after being considered for election by an honors committee, the hall of fame class will be announced on April 6 in Phoenix during the NCAA men’s basketball tournament’s Final Four.
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“From an early age, Washington was a trail blazer as she was the first of two black women to play on a United States National Team,” a KU release stated about Washington, who played in college at West Chester State University. “She played for the national team from 1969-71, which included the 1971 World Championship in Sao Paulo, Brazil. In 1982, she became the first African American woman to serve as the coach of a United States international team. Washington was also the first to coach on an Olympic women’s basketball staff, serving as an assistant on the 1996 gold-medal winning team.”
Washington became the winningest coach in her KU program’s history over the course of her time there from 1973-2004. In the end, she finished 560-363. She did it all while also, at times, holding other roles in the athletics department.
Washington’s success as a coach with the Jayhawks included 11 NCAA tournament appearances. There were also seven regular season championships and six tournament championships across Kansas’ time in the Big Eight Conference and Big 12 Conference. There were also a trio of coach of the year honors spread across the Jayhawks’ time in the leagues, too.
Washington is already a member of the West Chester State Athletic Hall of Fame. She’s already a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. She’d be the second woman, and 21st former KU athlete or coach, to become a part of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
“Washington received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Black Coaches Association (BCA) in 2003 and she was twice named the BCA Coach of the Year in 1992 and 1996,” the KU release stated. “She was the first female to serve as president of the BCA as well as the first individual to serve consecutive terms as president of the organization.”
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Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: KU's Marian Washington nears Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
