Coach Washington Departs From Lincoln Women's Basketball For Pro Job

After four seasons, Washington will depart the Lincoln women's basketball program.

Janice Washington - Lincoln University | LU Athletics

Lincoln University (PA) has announced that head women's basketball coach Janice Washington will be leaving to pursue a new opportunity in professional coaching. As the fall school year approaches, the 2023 CIAA Coach of the Year is leaving the Lady Lions program after four years of leadership.

"This is a bittersweet moment for the university," VP of Advancement and Athletic Director at Lincoln University. Harry Stinson III stated. "We are losing a dynamic leader, an outstanding coach and someone who truly continued laying the foundation for our program to thrive and succeed. However, we are excited for this opportunity for Janice. When you do amazing things, you are rewarded with amazing opportunities. We wish Coach Washington the best in her future endeavors and thank her for her contributions to Lincoln Universit"

Washington was awarded the 2023 CIAA Coach of the Year and nurtured exceptional talent, including the CIAA Player of the Year and the Most Valuable Player of the CIAA Tournament.

Throughout her tenure at Lincoln, Washington amassed a record of 64-50. In the 2021-22 season when she led the Lions to win the CIAA Championship with a 22-8 record after defeating Elizabeth City State  67-52. The following season, the Lady Lions claimed consecutive CIAA Northern Division titles thanks to her guidance.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2023 CIAA Coach of the Year
• 2021-22 CIAA Women's Basketball Championship
• 2022 and 2023 CIAA Northern Division Champions
• 2023 CIAA Player of the Year - Bryanna Brown
• 3.4 Cumulative Team GPA
• Historic 22-8 record in 2021-22
• Former guard Kania Pollock transitions to a coaching role for the men's basketball team.

Janice Washington had over 20 years of experience as coach and her profile was growing nationally. In April, Washington was a presenter at the 2025 Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Convention, where she will lead a session titled "Building Leadership in Player-Led Teams."

Washington said, "I'm thrilled to share the tips and lessons on leadership that I've learned in the 20 years of being involved with women's basketball. Presenting at the WBCA Convention is an amazing opportunity and I'm looking forward to sharing."

Later in May, Washington was selected to participate in the 54th class of the NCAA Women Coaches Academy, hosted by WeCOACH and the NCAA, from May 18–21 in Denver, Colorado. The four-day event is a professional development program for women coaches to dive into workshops, training sessions, and more.

Although Lincoln will lose a rising coaching star, Washington will leave the program in excellent shape for AD Stinson to recruit a new coach for Lincoln.

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