Niki Washington is entering her 26th year of coaching and her fifth season as associate head coach at George Mason.
Washington has played a pivotal role in the program’s historic transformation under head coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis. Known for her elite preparation, analytical mindset, and relentless pursuit of excellence, Washington has helped lead the Patriots to their first-ever Atlantic 10 Championship and inaugural NCAA Tournament appearance. In just four seasons, she helped elevate a program that previously recorded zero conference wins and only three total victories into a championship-caliber team.
A 21-year coaching veteran prior to joining George Mason, Washington brings a wealth of experience to the Green & Gold, including championship success and postseason appearances. She previously served as associate head coach at Bethune-Cookman, where she helped guide the Wildcats to their first NCAA Tournament berth in 2018–19. Her coaching résumé also includes stints at Florida A&M, Illinois State, and Seminole State, as well as a six-year tenure as head coach at Lynn University from 2009–15.
At Lynn, Washington led the program to its first Sunshine State Conference Tournament title (2010) and regular season championship (2013), both culminating in NCAA Tournament appearances. She became the program’s all-time leader in overall and league victories and developed numerous All-Americans across the junior college, Division II, and Division I levels.
As a player, Washington was named the Gatorade Florida High School Player of the Year in 1993 and earned All-America honors from Street and Smith and Converse. She began her collegiate career at the University of Houston, redshirting due to an injury, before transferring to Seminole Community College, and ultimately finishing her collegiate career at Southern Illinois University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in speech communications. She went on to play professionally in Denmark before embarking on her coaching career.
Washington was inducted into the inaugural Sanford Seminole High School Hall of Fame in 2019 alongside sports greats like Tim Raines, Jeff Blake, Matt Kuchar, and David Eckstein.
