KU coach Washington to take medical leave

Undisclosed condition leads to decision

Kansas University women’s basketball coach Marian Washington is taking an indefinite leave of absence from the program she has coached for 31 years.

At a hastily convened Thursday afternoon news conference, Washington, who will be inducted into the National Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame this summer, would say only that the leave was for medical reasons.

She will be replaced in the interim by Lynette Woodard, one of KU’s three assistant coaches.

An emotional Washington had to pause for a moment — she was close to tears — when talking about her midseason decision to leave the program for an indefinite period.

“This is a difficult time,” she said. “But mainly for my players, really. Even though they’re stunned, they’re very supportive. And I have all the faith in the world in Lynette Woodard.”

Washington, 57, met Thursday morning with KU athletic director Lew Perkins to ask for the leave.

Perkins didn’t hesitate.

“Whatever we can do to help Marian,” he said, “we’re going to do it.”

Not life or death

Marian Washington gets choked up while addressing the media about taking a medical leave from her position as head coach of the Kansas University women's basketball team. Washington, who has coached the Jayhawks since the 1973-74 season, made the announcement in a news conference Thursday at KU's Hadl Auditorium.

No timetable was set for Washington’s return, but she said she asked for two or three weeks of leave.

“The problem has become quite evident during this season and this year,” Washington said. “It’s not something that just popped up.”

She did not divulge the reason for the medical leave, and Perkins asked the media not to pry.

“We don’t think it’s a life-or-death kind of thing,” he said. “It’s a private issue.”

Washington said she talked to her doctor at the start of the season about the issue but waited until now to address it, primarily because she hasn’t missed a game in the more than three decades she has been on Mount Oread.

“When you’ve been in this business as long as I have,” she said, “you tend to dismiss yourself and concentrate on the players and on the program.”

Woodard will take the controls for the first time Saturday night against Oklahoma State in Allen Fieldhouse.

“If you think of KU women’s basketball,” Perkins said, “outside of Marian, Lynette is the next person.”

Woodard, the most decorated women’s basketball player in KU history, joined Washington’s staff five years ago, after a career in professional and Olympic basketball.

Washington’s record

The dean of Big 12 Conference coaches, Washington has had 17 seasons with 20 or more victories. Her KU teams have won 559 games. She has won seven conference titles and six league tournaments.

Along the way she has received numerous honors — including the scheduled induction into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame — and was an assistant coach for the United States’ gold medal-winning team at the 1996 Olympics.

But Kansas has gone 28-60 the past three seasons and is 8-9 this year, the final season of Washington’s contract.

After Thursday’s news conference, Perkins said the status of Washington’s contract with KU was not an issue.

“We haven’t even talked about those kind of things,” he said. “The only issue is her health.”

‘I am hopeful’

Washington is the third collegiate basketball coach to take a medical leave this week.

Rick Pitino returned to Louisville on Thursday after a two-day leave, while Utah coach Rick Majerus said Wednesday he planned to retire at the end of the season because of ongoing medical problems.

“When you read about other coaches,” Washington said, “you think, ‘Maybe I should consider doing something, too.'”

KU’s players were not available for comment Thursday. Perkins said they would talk the media after today’s afternoon practice.

Washington did not say, but it seemed apparent she would not be staying in town to take care of her undisclosed ailment.

“I am hopeful everything will be OK,” Washington said. “I am going do everything I can to take care of myself, which is long overdue. I am just going to try to take it one day at a time.”