Pat Washington, a championship-winning coach with more than three decades of experience at the collegiate level, was hired as an App State assistant in January 2019.
He coached the Mountaineers’ receivers for three seasons, with three super seniors (Corey Sutton, Thomas Hennigan and Malik Williams) all totaling more than 800 receiving yards in 2021. They all finished in the top eight in school history in career catches, career receiving yards and career receiving touchdowns.
In 35 years in the profession, Washington has been part of a BCS national championship at Tennessee in 1998, as well as six conference championships, 26 bowl games, 12 bowl wins and 13 double-digit-win seasons, counting a 2019 season in which App State went 13-1, won the Sun Belt Conference title and prevailed in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. The former Auburn quarterback most recently coached at South Carolina (2016-18) and has stops at Missouri (2013-15), Kentucky (2012), Southern Miss (2009-11), Mississippi State (2007-08), Kansas State (2006), Tennessee (1995-2005), Baylor (1994), TCU (1992-93), Louisiana (1989-91) and Auburn (1987-88).
During a 9-3 season in 2020, App State was productive in the passing game even though Hennigan and Jalen Virgil spent large parts of the season slowed by injuries and Sutton was unavailable. In nine of App State's 11 regular-season games, either Hennigan or Williams posted at least 60 receiving yards.
Hennigan had 13 receptions for 275 yards through three games before suffering his injury, Williams followed that with 27 catches for 401 yards in the next six games and Virgil made several acrobatic or critical catches down the stretch of the season. The injuries also created opportunities to develop young talent such as redshirt freshman Christian Wells, who tied for the team lead with four touchdown receptions.
The perimeter blocking from Hennigan, Virgil and others also played a key role in the running game, particularly as App State rushed for 500 yards with four runs of at least 62 yards in its Myrtle Beach Bowl victory.
In 2019, App State had two receivers with at least 50 catches for the first time since 2013, thanks to career years from juniors Hennigan (61 catches for 773 yards with six touchdowns) and Williams (55 catches for 598 yards with four touchdowns). Sutton put up 41 catches for 601 yards and seven touchdowns in just nine games before suffering a season-ending injury.
Under Washington's watch as South Carolina's tight ends coach, Hayden Hurst went from a former walk-on to a first-team All-SEC tight end and first-round NFL Draft pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2018. Hurst ranked second on the Gamecocks squad in both receptions and receiving yards during the 2017 campaign.
Washington went to South Carolina from Missouri, where he served as the Tigers' wide receivers coach from 2013-15. The Tigers captured the SEC Eastern Division title and played in the SEC Championship game in both 2013 and 2014. He coached Bud Sasser and Dorial Green-Beckham to All-SEC honors during his tenure and helped Mizzou become one of the most improved offensive attacks in the nation in his first year in 2013.
From 2006-12, Washington spent time coaching the likes of wideouts Jordy Nelson and Yamon Figurs at Kansas State in 2006 and helped Mississippi State break a six-year postseason drought with a Liberty Bowl win in 2007. He was also part of three winning seasons as the running backs coach at Southern Miss from 2009-11, including a 12-2 Conference USA Championship campaign in 2011 that was capped by a victory in the Hawaii Bowl. He coached receivers and served as the passing game coordinator at Kentucky in 2012.
As the receivers coach on Phillip Fulmer's Tennessee staff from 1995-2005, Washington helped the Volunteers post a 105-31 record during his tenure that featured 10 bowl appearances -- including three Citrus Bowls, two Fiesta, Peach and Cotton Bowls, and one Orange Bowl. The Volunteers also reached the SEC Championship Game four times with Washington on staff. A win in the 1998 SEC title game vaulted UT to the 1999 Fiesta Bowl, where the Vols downed Florida State, 23-16, to cap an undefeated season and a national championship.
During his tenure at Tennessee, Washington developed several standout receivers, including Peerless Price, Donte Stallworth, Joey Kent, Marcus Nash, Robert Meachem and Cedrick Wilson, among others. Nash, Stallworth and Meachem were first-round draft picks, and all six enjoyed NFL careers.
Washington's coaching career began at Auburn, where he served his alma mater as a graduate assistant coach from 1987-88. After the Tigers won SEC titles and played in the Sugar Bowl both years, Washington landed his first full-time position in the industry as the receivers coach at Louisiana (1989-91), and that was followed by a two-year stop at TCU (1992-93) as receivers coach. He spent one year at Baylor (1994) as the running backs coach, and the Bears reached the 1994 Alamo Bowl during his time there, before he left to join Tennessee the following year.
A native of Mobile, Ala., Washington played quarterback at Auburn from 1982-85. He was the starter in his final two seasons and guided the Tigers to a combined 17-8 record in those years and to 1984 Liberty Bowl and 1986 Cotton Bowl appearances.
Washington earned a management degree from Auburn in 1987. He and his wife, Claudette, are the parents of sons Tyson and Justin.
Coaching Experience
1987-88: Auburn (Graduate Assistant)
1989-91: Louisiana (Wide Receivers)
1992-93: TCU (Wide Receivers)
1994: Baylor (Running Backs)
1995-2005: Tennessee (Wide Receivers)
2006: Kansas State (Wide Receivers)
2007-08: Mississippi State (Wide Receivers)
2009-11: Southern Miss (Running Backs)
2012: Kentucky (Passing Game Coordinator/WRs)
2013-15: Missouri (Wide Receivers)
2016-18: South Carolina (Tight Ends)
2019-21: App State (Wide Receivers)
Playing Experience
1982-85: Auburn (QB)
Alma Mater: Auburn, 1987
Hometown: Mobile, Ala.
Birthdate: Oct. 12, 1963
Wife: Claudette
Children: Tyson and Justin
Twitter: @Coach_Washingto
