- Posted in All University
- Category: AthleticsCampus News
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, PA - Lincoln University women's basketball coach Janice Washington is adding to her trophy case.
The National Sports Media Association has named Washington, along with University of North Carolina Men's Basketball Coach Hubert Davis, as their Clarence "Big House" Gaines College Basketball Coaches of the Year.
Washington is the first Lincoln coach, and fourth CIAA women's basketball coach to win the award. The coaching award was first handed out following the 2010-11 season. The organization selects a Division I coach and a Division II coach.
In her first season at the helm, she led the Lions to its first outright CIAA North Division crown, the top seed in the CIAA Tournament and the CIAA Tournament Championship. Lincoln qualified for the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament.
Under her tutelage, senior Bryanna Brown was named the CIAA Player of the Year, the CIAA Tournament MVP, and D2CCA Second Team All-Region.
The Gaines Awards will be presented during the NSMA's 62nd awards banquet on June 27, 2022, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
ABOUT THE CLARENCE "BIG HOUSE" GAINES AWARDS
The Clarence "Big House" Gaines College Basketball Coach of the Year Awards are presented to the head coach in NCAA Division 1 and Division 2, who may not earn recognition from mainstream outlets. An NSMA committee votes on the awards at the conclusion of the NCAA men's and women's tournaments. The Awards are presented at the annual NSMA Awards Banquet.
Gaines was the legendary head basketball coach at Winston-Salem (NC) State University. In 47 seasons as head coach, his teams won 828 games, including the 1967 NCAA Division II National Championship. That team was led by Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, who went on to an NBA Hall of Fame career. Among the other notable players Gaines coached were Cleo Hill, the first NBA first-round draft choice from a historically Black college or university, and sports media personality Stephen A. Smith. A former president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), Gaines was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982. He died in 2005.
