Veteran Coach Henry Washington begins his milestone 30th season of coaching.  Head Basketball Coach, Henry Washington, has settled well into his position of Head Baseball Coach at Macomb.  Washington brings a wealth of experience and imparts it upon his student athletes daily. In addition to coaching at Macomb, Washington is also a member of the Physical Education Department as a lecturer and Adjunct Faculty.
Washington’s Basketball teams are known for a disciplined open offense and a tough man-to-man and sometimes trapping defensive style. Washington believes in limiting turnovers at the offensive end and the fundamentals of solid rebounding on the defensive end for success!  During his tenure as head basketball coach, Washington has coached a player in the top ten in rebounding nationally in six of the last eight seasons. Furthermore, his teams have finished in the top ten nationally, and on several occasions, in scoring defense.

This is Washington’s second stint at Macomb. From 1986-89, Washington was an assistant under legendary coach John Switchulis. During that span, Macomb was regularly ranked in the top ten nationally and was ranked as high as #1 during the 1987-88 season.
Washington began his collegiate basketball coaching career at Wayne State University in 1985, where he was an Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach.

Washington’s coaching career spans over 30 years; many of those years he was dividing his time between teaching and coaching in the interscholastic and the collegiate levels.
Washington coached Girls and Boys Varsity Basketball as well as Varsity Baseball in the Detroit Public School League (PSL) for several years. Washington’s basketball teams made frequent appearances in the tough PSL playoffs. His teams also won a several district titles, and competed against many of current NBA players.

Washington’s baseball experience is as extensive as his experience in basketball.  He spent 18 years coaching baseball at Southeastern High School. During this stint, Washington was named Detroit Public School League Coach of the Year four times and Regional Coach of the Year once. He also had the privilege of coaching the second team in PSL history to the state quarterfinals. Washington’s baseball teams were ranked in the state on numerous occasions and won many conference titles. During one span, the baseball team won 43 straight league games.

In addition to coaching in high school Washington coached in the summer league for the Mexican Industries Travel team sponsored by Hank Aquirre, a former Detroit Tigers pitcher. Washington also spent 3 years as a scout for the Toronto Blue Jays, under current Texas Rangers Senior Director of Baseball Operations Don Welke.  Washington along with the Macomb Baseball team were also camp clinic coaches at the Willie Horton presents his Batting For Kids 2009 Baseball Challenge.

As a player, Washington played basketball and baseball at Concordia College in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  While at Concordia, he was named All-Conference shortstop for two seasons and was captain of the baseball team. The two years spent at Concordia, Washington’s team won 2 conference championships. He later transferred to Oakland University, where he was an All-Conference shortstop and a member of a Great Lakes Conference Championship Team.
Upon completing his studies at Oakland University, Washington signed with the Detroit Tigers as an infielder in the minor league organization. He picked up valuable experience and learned the “Pro way” of competing.

Washington received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism from Oakland and completed his Masters of Arts Degree in Sports Administration from Wayne State University. Currently his other duties include lecturing for the Volunteers, Administration and Coaches Program (VAC) at Wayne State University. Washington also serves on the T-Ball to Tigers committee. In this capacity Washington works with the Strategic Planning Department of the Detroit Tigers assisting in many youth baseball initiatives.

He and wife Tanya have raised three daughters, Latanya, Akilah, who is a Michigan State Graduate and currently works for the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Atlanta Dream, Nakia, who attends Eastern Michigan University and niece Ayanna who attends Central State University in Ohio. Washington is now the proud grandfather of granddaughter Kyndall Renee.

“Macomb Athletics is what college athletics should be. The true emphasis placed on academics while still fielding competitive squads is what keeps me coming back each year. I have been in education and coaching for over 30 years and each year at Macomb has been a highlight. Coaching college baseball is a dream come true. With the facilities, the administration, the outstanding student athletes and the closeness to home, I sincerely believe I have one of the best college jobs in the state in both baseball and basketball. Macomb has given me a great opportunity and I will work extremely hard for the programs I direct.”-Coach Washington