Kansas University head women’s basketball coach Marian Washington announced Thursday that she will take a medical leave of absence effective immediately.
“I have felt for some time that I needed to address some medical issues,” Washington said. “I feel positive that this is the right time to do it. I am receiving terrific support from Lew (Perkins) and his staff, my coaches and, most importantly, my players, so I know the time is right.”
Washington met Thursday morning with Perkins, KU’s athletic director, and asked him for a two- to three-week medical leave of absence, which Perkins granted. Both Perkins and Washington said the coach’s medical problems were not life-threatening.
“My most important concern as a friend, and as a colleague, is to make sure she is healthy,” Perkins said.
Perkins has named assistant coach Lynette Woodard interim coach, citing Woodard’s history at the university, what she stands for as a Jayhawk and her time with Washington as reasons for naming her to the position.
“I am very confident that Lynette will do an outstanding job leading our women’s basketball team in coach Washington’s absence,” Perkins said. “We will give Lynette and our student athletes all the support they need. My biggest concern is for Marian to take care of herself. We will take care of everything else.”
The 57-year-old Washington is in her 31st season as KU head coach. Her teams had won 551 games entering the 2003-04 season, including 17 seasons of 20 or more victories. The Jayhawks won seven conference titles and six conference tournament championships under Washington and twice advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Washington was an assistant coach for the United States’ gold-medal-winning team at the 1996 Olympics and will be inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame later this year.
Kansas has gone 28-60 over the past three seasons, and is 8-9 this year, the final season of Washington’s contract. After Thursday’s news conference, though, Perkins said he hadn’t considered Washington’s job status.
“I haven’t even thought about it,” Perkins said. “I won’t think about it. There are no contract issues. The contract is not in my mind. I could care less. What I care about is this person. I don’t want anything to happen to his lady. She is special.
“We haven’t even talked about those kind of things. The only issue is her health.”
For more on this story, return later to this site, see the 6News report at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Sunflower Broadband’s channel 6 and pick up a copy of Friday’s Journal-World.
Bio
6Sports video: Washington takes leave of absence
Hear Marian and Lynette: Jan. 29 press conferences
See the photos: Washington and Woodard