State College of Florida's basketball program has 109 losses in last five years. Now they're looking for a new head coach
State College of Florida has parted ways with men's basketball coach and Bradenton native Elliot Washington after five seasons.
Washington, who played college basketball at SCF (then known as Manatee Community College) and the University of Alabama, was hired in June 2013 and went 46-109 in five seasons with the Manatees.
"We informed coach and the guys we reviewed the last five years of the program's record, and just decided to go in a different direction," SCF athletic director Matt Ennis told the Herald on Tuesday night.
A phone call seeking comment from Washington was not immediately returned.
As a state employee, Washington was under a one-year contract. Ennis said that contract was not renewed.
In reviewing the past five seasons, Ennis said the basketball team had not finished higher than second-to-last in conference play.
This past season, SCF was 13-17 overall and 2-10 in the Suncoast Conference.
"In five years of playing in the conference tournament, I think we were 1-5," Ennis said. "So it was progress and the commitment to our overall student-athlete experience. And trying to keep a perspective of success in our athletic programs."
Washington was Southeast High's boys basketball coach for 14 years before taking the SCF job in 2013. Washington served as an assistant coach at SCF under Hall of Fame coach John "Chip" Sines from 1996-98.
"Elliot's going to forever be a part of SCF as an alumnus and as a coach with us," Ennis said. "We're thankful for his many years of service to us and to the college for what he's done."
Ennis said a posting for the head basketball coaching vacancy went online at the college's website on Tuesday.
The posting will go to the NJCAA's website, and a search committee will review all the candidates as part of the process to determine SCF's next head basketball coach.
"Overall executive leadership of the basketball program, including aspects of planning and administration of everything," said Ennis about what they're looking for in the next head coach. "Our positions are dual-roled positions. So it's a full-time position, but they're a head coach and they have another responsibility. So this position oversees athletic operations, so someone with a great deal of organization and possibly some experience supervising student housing, and someone who can develop a healthy team dynamic from a sports side of things. And provide oversight of the integrity and academic pieces of the student-athlete as well."
This story was originally published April 10, 2018 at 8:13 PM with the headline "State College of Florida's basketball program has 109 losses in last five years. Now they're looking for a new head coach."