NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State women's head basketball coach Kristen Gillespie added a second piece to her coaching staff with the hiring of assistant coach Niki Washington, the now former associate head women's basketball coach at Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach, Florida. The hire was announced Thursday by Gillespie.
"I can't say enough good things about Niki (Washington)," Gillespie said. "I have known her for almost 15 years, and I have been impressed with her professionalism and work ethic, both on the court and on the recruiting trail. She brings Missouri Valley Confernece experience from her playing days, and years of successful Division I coaching experience to our staff. Her addition is a huge win for our program."
Washington coached two seasons at Bethune-Cookman and helped the Wildcats to a two-year record of 39-24, including a 27-5 mark in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), and a pair of Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) appearances. Bethune-Cookman went 15-1 in conference play in 2016-17 and lost in the championship game of the conference tournament. The Wildcats ended the year with an overall record of 21-11.
"I am so blessed to have received the phone call from coach Kristen Gillespie regarding a position on her staff," Washington said. "I've known Kristen since we were both prep players in the state of Florida over 20 years ago. Since then, our paths have continually crossed during our playing and coaching careers. I know firsthand that she is passionate, hardworking and tenacious and has a competitive spirit that flows through her veins and is part of her DNA."
Before coaching at Bethune-Cookman, Washington served as the head coach for six seasons (2009-15) at Lynn University, a Division II school in Boca Raton, Florida. She cemented herself as one of the most successful coaches in program history by claiming several program firsts: winning the first Sunshine State Conference Tournament game and first SSC Tournament title, claiming the first SSC regular-season title, earning the first NCAA Tournament bid and earning the first NCAA Tournament at-large bid.
During her time patrolling the sidelines for the Fighting Knights, Washington posted a 90-101 (.471) career record and 37-59 (.384) mark in SSC play. During the 2013-14 season, Washington became the program's all-time leader in overall and league victories.
While at Lynn, Washington helped student-athletes accumulate three All-America honors, six All-SSC accolades, two all-south region awards, a South Region Player of the Year honor and a SSC Tournament Most Outstanding Player honoree. She also was the only coach in program history to have defeated every school in the Sunshine State Conference at least once during their tenure.
Prior to arriving in Boca Raton, Washington served as the assistant coach for MEAC foe Florida A&M for six seasons. During her time in Tallahassee, Florida, the Lady Rattlers produced five All-MEAC selections, while Washington helped oversee the development of a MEAC Rookie of the Year and a MEAC Player of the Year.
Born in Sanford, Florida, Washington was a prep phenom at Seminole High School, becoming a highly-sought after player. She was named the Gatorade Florida High School Player of the Year in 1993 and earned high school All-America notices from Street and Smith Magazine as well as from Converse.
She signed with the University of Houston in 1993, where she was part of a recruiting class that ranked fourth in the nation. However injuries her freshman year at Houston prompted a move back home, where she enrolled at Seminole Community College.
At SCC, Washington blossomed into a top performer on the court, earning a spot on the 1995 NJCAA Mid-Florida Conference All-Star team. After graduating from SCC, she moved on to Southern Illinois in Carbondale, Illinois, to play for coaching pioneer Cindy Scott, finishing second in the Missouri Valley Conference in her first season.
Following her time at SIU, Washington again returned home to Sanford where she served as an assistant coach at Seminole Community College from 1999-2002. During her time with the Raiders, they captured two Mid-Florida Conference Championships and advanced to regional play in 2001-02 while collecting numerous all-conference accolades, two Mid-Florida Conference Player of the Year selections, five National Junior College Athletic Association All-State/Region players and one Kodak/WBCA NJCAA All-American.
Washington's playing experience didn't end at SIU. In 1999-2000, she was a member of the NWBL Florida Fury, which led to an invitation to the Detroit Shock training camp in 2000. She did sign a professional contract in 2000 with Herlev-BMS in Copenhagen, Denmark. Washington had an outstanding season, earning the 2001 women's club MVP award, while helping the team win the Danish Cup National title.
A 1999 graduate of SIU, she holds a Bachelor of Science degree in speech communications and interpersonal communications.
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