Washington to Succeed Stringer
Coquese Washington becomes only the third full-time head coach of the Scarlet Knights women’s basketball team in history.
Coquese Washington has been named the new head coach of the Scarlet Knights women’s basketball team, only the third full-time coach in program history and successor to C. Vivian Stringer. Washington, named Big Ten Coach of the Year three times during her 12 years as head coach at Penn State, was most recently the associate head coach at Notre Dame. She has 22 years of experience building programs and coaching championship-caliber basketball.
“We are excited to welcome Coquese [ko-KWEES] and her family to Rutgers,” said athletic director Pat Hobbs on May 23, the day that Washington's hiring was announced. “The next leader of our women’s basketball program has a track record of winning, exemplary leadership, and great character. Coquese is the perfect fit, someone who is hard-working, passionate, and dedicated to building a championship program.”
“The tradition of the women’s basketball program at Rutgers," said Rutgers president Jonathan Holloway, "is one of excellence, both on the court and in our classrooms. I have every hope and expectation that Coach Washington will expand that tradition.”
Washington served as head coach at Penn State, 2007–2019, where she was the first woman African American head coach in the university’s history and led the Lady Lions to three straight Big Ten titles—one of only four programs in conference history to win three or more regular-season crowns in a row—and to four NCAA tournaments.
“I am beyond thrilled with the opportunity at Rutgers, a university that excels both academically and athletically,” said Washington, who signed a six-year contract with Rutgers. “Following in the footsteps of Hall of Fame coaches Theresa Grentz and C. Vivian Stringer is a tremendous honor.”
As a collegiate player with Notre Dame, Washington had 554 career assists (seventh all-time) and 307 career steals (third all-time). After graduating, she earned a juris doctorate from Notre Dame Law School in 1997. Washington played six seasons professionally in the WNBA, winning a title with the Houston Comets in 2000.
Washington was a key figure in creating the WNBA Players Association, serving as its founding president and later as its executive vice president. Washington led negotiations for the association’s first collective bargaining agreement and then helped negotiate the league’s second collective bargaining agreement, leading to the first free agency system in women’s professional sports.