Washington named new boys basketball coach at Kettle Run

By Dave Fawcett

Published: April 18, 2008

When Troy L. Washington began as an assistant boys basketball coach at Gar-Field High School in 2000, he had no aspirations of becoming a head varsity coach. But after learning more about the ins and outs of coaching on that level under Indians head coach Andy Gray and assistants like Jason Bell and Jamel Perkins, Washington began to rethink his position.

"One of [Andy's] goals is to help mentor young coaches so they can become a head coach," Washington said.

"That stuck with me through my whole career as an assistant."

The tutoring paid off as Washington has been hired as Kettle Run's new head boys basketball coach. The Group AA school, located in Fauquier County, opens in September. Kettle Run will compete in the Northwestern District and will have no seniors in its first year of competition.

In his eight years of coaching at Gar-Field, Washington had only applied for one other head coaching position. Washington, who declined to name the school, did not get the job, but said the interview experience helped prepare him for the Kettle Run job.

"I like the fact that it is a new school and everything about it is new," Washington said. "And it is a smaller school."

The 38-year-old Washington was also attracted to the job because it gave him an opportunity to venture outside of Prince William County.

The son of two educators, Washington grew up in Prince William County, graduating from Potomac High School in 1988. Before coaching at Gar-Field, he was the head girls basketball coach at Graham Park Middle School.

"It is a new adventure," Washington said. "I am going to a school that is not an unknown, but it is something different."