Lincoln Lions’ head women’s basketball coach Janice Washington has been named the recipient of the Clarence “Big House” Gaines Award for the top coach in Division II basketball by the National Sports Media Association.
Since 2010, the National Sports Media Association has given out the Clarence “Big House” Gaines award to the top coaches in Division I and Division II basketball respectively.
Along with Washington, NCAA tournament runner-up North Carolina men’s basketball coach Hubert Davis won the Division I award.
The Division II award has gone to a coach in the CIAA each year since the award’s inception with coach Washington now becoming the second woman to ever win it (AnnMarie Gilbert, Virginia Union x2).
RELEASE: @LUL1onsWBB coach @CoachSmFry named Clarence "Big House" Gaines Division II Coach of the Year #LUPr1de #ProtectThePr1de https://t.co/nODAFdXNh4
— Lincoln University Lions Athletics (@LUL1onsAthletic) April 6, 2022
This season was Washington’s first as head coach of the Lady Lions, leading the team to the CIAA regular-season title posting a 22-8 record going 12-4 in conference.
Also read: Lincoln’s Bryanna Brown named D2CCA All-Region
The title also gave the Lady Lions their second straight 20-win season after finishing 23-6 in 2019-2020.
Unlike in the 2019-2020 season, the Lady Lions were able to culminate their run with a conference title defeating Elizabeth City State in the finals of the CIAA tournament to claim their first CIAA championship in school history.
For the second season in a row, a player from Lincoln was named Player of the Year with the award going to senior guard Bryanna Brown who was also named the MVP of the CIAA tournament.
