By Liz Caldwell
This is Marian Washington's silver anniversary season as head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks women's basketball team. In that time she has collected 470 wins and a .640 winning percentage.
In her honor, Iota Phi Theta fraternity is coordinating an effort to get students at KU to bring flowers for her to be presented before an upcoming game.
"With her being here 25 years, plus all the accomplishments that she has had, we felt that it was long overdue for someone to show her that we care about her and really appreciate her being at Kansas University," said Dion Jones, St. Croix, Virgin Islands, junior and a member of Iota Phi Theta. "Everything just fell into place, with it being black history month, to recognize this African-American woman of such accomplishment.
"We just want to show her that we weren't going to let such an accomplishment go unappreciated," Jones said.
Washington has received many honors over the past 25 years. She was the Big 12 Conference 1997 Coach of the Year, a member of the 1996 Women's Olympic team coaching staff and the 1996 William I. Koch Outstanding Woman of the Year.
Washington was the first woman to serve as president of the Black Coaches Association and the first person to serve consecutive terms as president. In 1992, she was named BCA Women's Coach of the Year, Big Eight Conference Coach of the Year and the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association Women's Coach of the Year.
From 1974 to 1979 she served as KU women's athletics director, helping to increase women's varsity sports opportunities at KU. In 1979, she resigned that post to concentrate on her coaching duties.
Washington served on the selection committee for the 1984 and 1988 Olympic women's basketball teams.
Washington came to KU in 1972 as a graduate assistant in the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.
She taught several classes and earned a master's degree in biodynamics and administration in 1975. She became women's head basketball coach in 1973 and in 1974 founded the women's track and field program, of which she served as head coach for a year.
She earned her bachelor's degree from West Chester State College, West Chester, Pa., where she played on the first women's national championship team.
Her 1969 team finished the season unbeaten and defeated Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, N.C., for the National Women's Invitational Tournament title.
There will be a dinner honoring Washington March 24 in the Kansas Union ballroom.
For information and reservations, call 864-5920.