The late Samuel Washington was a championship basketball coach at Jefferson County High in Fayette. Born in Hattiesburg and raised in Natchez, he served in the U. S. Army from 1953 to 1955. After he completed his service, he was an All-Riverside Conference basketball star at Sadie Thompson High at Natchez Junior College, where he graduated in 1956. Coach Washington played basketball at Natchez Junior College and Alcorn State University, where he completed his college degree in 1961. He started his 33-year coaching career in 1961 when he worked as an assistant basketball coach at West Bolivar High. He arrived at Jefferson County High in 1962 and spent the next 32 years at the school as a coach and teacher. Coach Washington led his Tigers boys' teams to three conference titles in the Mid-South (1968) and West Riverside (1980 and 1986). His squads captured several invitational titles, including the 1980 Ponderosa All-Stars, the 1985 Ferriday Invitational, the 1986 Northwest Rankin Invitational and the 1990 Pepsi Invitational. He guided his basketball teams to 1,001 wins and only 497 losses, for a 68% winning mark. Coach Washington also paced the girls' team to three district and six conference championships. He was named Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year five times and West Riverside Conference Coach of the Year four times. Coach Washington was a valued member of the MAC who taught and coached his entire career from 1961 to 1995. In addition to his coaching duties, Samuel also officiated football, basketball, and baseball games for 20 years.