Longtime Kansas University women’s basketball coach Marian Washington announced her retirement Friday, nearly a month after taking a leave of absence for undisclosed medical reasons.
KU sports information director Beau White told 6News about Washington’s decision Friday afternoon. The announcement was officially to be made following Friday’s football awards banquet, which is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m., but the university later moved the announcement to before the banquet.
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“I am retiring from coaching to address health issues that are not life-threatening, but that need my immediate attention,” Washington said in a statement. “I cannot address these issues and at the same time devote the time it takes to lead a major college basketball program. To try to do that would be unfair to my student-athletes, my coaches and to the University of Kansas.
“I want to thank Chancellor Bob Hemenway and Athletics Director Lew Perkins for their support during this challenging time. I will always be grateful for that.”
Washington will be honored at Saturday’s women’s basketball game against Nebraska at Allen Fieldhouse.
“I want to thank my family, my friends, and everyone who has sent their prayers and well-wishes,” Washington said. “My mission in life has been to make a difference, especially in the lives of young people, and to use the arena of athletics to help develop good character as well as athletic talent.
“Over the years I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to work with many tremendous student-athletes. They have developed into proud and successful young women, and have represented the University of Kansas with class, both nationally and internationally. I want to thank them all for their support.”
Speculation has swirled about Washington’s future since she took a medical leave of absence on Jan. 29. Lynette Woodard has been coaching the Jayhawks in Washington’s absence, but KU has won just one game since Washington’s departure.
Washington has been coaching the Jayhawks for the past 31 seasons. In her time at KU, Washington won 559 games, coached four All-Americans, won seven conference titles, and six conference tournament titles. Recently, however, Washington’s teams have slipped. Since the start of the 2000-01 season, the Jayhawks have a record of 37-76. In the 2001-02 season, KU went 0-16 in Big 12 Conference play.
“I want her to take care of herself; that’s the most important thing,” Perkins said in a statement. “Marian Washington has been a pioneer, a leader, a mentor and a terrific basketball coach. I respect her decision, and have told her that we have a place for her in the Kansas Department of Athletics for as long as she wants one.”
Perkins has yet to announce his plans for finding Washington’s replacement, or if Woodard would be a candidate for the permanent job. However, rumors have been floating around the University of Connecticut in recent weeks, which has one of the top women’s basketball programs in America, and where Perkins worked before coming to KU.
In an article in Sunday’s Hartford (Conn.) Courant, Perkins said, “Women’s basketball at Kansas has to be successful.”
When asked if he would approach UConn coach Geno Auriemma to replace Washington, Perkins said, “no comment.”
In a subsequent article in the Middletown (Conn.) Press, Auriemma was asked if he was worried about any of his assistants taking the KU job. UConn Assistant Coaches Chris Dailey, Tonya Cardoza and Jamelle Elliott have been working for Auriemma for the past seven seasons.
Auriemma said he had a hard time seeing any member of his coaching staff straying too far from the Northeast. A perfect coaching situation would need to arise, Auriemma said, “and I’m not concerned that it’s going to break up because of Kansas.”
Saturday’s game at Allen Fieldhouse is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. White said that Washington is unlikely to speak to the media any time in the foreseeable future.
For more on this story, see the 6Sports report at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Sunflower Broadband Channel 6 and pick up a copy of Saturday’s Journal-World.
