Willie Washington, athletic director at Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina, passed away on August 31. He was 74 years old.
Born in Joiner, Arkansas, Washington graduated from Harrison High School, where he played basketball, football, and track. He went on to enroll and play basketball at Touagloo College in Mississippi. After completing his bachelor’s degree in physical education, Washington pursued a professional basketball career with the Carloo Basketball Team in Brussels, Belgium. Later in life, Washington earned a master’s degree from Jackson State University in Mississippi.
In 1975, Washington returned to the United States and was hired as the assistant basketball coach at Barber-Scotia College in Concord, North Carolina. He later joined Allen University in Columbia, South Carolina, as the head men’s basketball coach and athletic director. After more than a decade with the university, Washington joined Benedict College in 1988 and would stay there for the next 38 years. Under his leadership, Benedict transitioned from the NAIA to NCAA Division II status, became a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), and grew its athletic program from eight sports to 14.
Washington also held positions with numerous NCAA and SIAC athletic committees, boards, and foundations. In honor of Washington’s contributions to collegiate athletics, the SIAC dedicated the Willie Washington Athletic Director of the Year Award in his honor.
In addition to his work in athletics, Washington was chair of the board of Laurinburg Institute, a historic African American preparatory school in North Carolina.
