Stillman College in Alabama has named Deon Washington as the head coach of its brand‑new women’s flag football program, a team that will take the field for the first time in the spring of 2027.
The addition brings the school’s total of intercollegiate sports to twelve and marks the first NAIA‑sanctioned championship season for women’s flag football, a competition that is expected to feature more than sixty squads across the nation.
Athletic director Terrance Whittle said Washington will be instrumental in laying the groundwork for a program that seeks to give student‑athletes new opportunities while expanding the footprint of the sport throughout Alabama.
Washington returns to his alma mater after stints that include three seasons as head football coach at Greensboro High School and a pioneering role as the inaugural women’s flag football coach at Central High School during the 2021‑22 academic year.
In addition to his head‑coach duties, Washington has also served as an assistant for both football and baseball at the high school level, bringing a breadth of experience that the college hopes will translate into a competitive and sustainable program.
A historic milestone for the campus
The decision underscores Stillman’s commitment to gender equity in athletics and reflects a growing enthusiasm for flag football at the collegiate level, a sport that has seen rapid adoption in high schools and community leagues across the Southeast.
With the inaugural season on the horizon, the college is already planning recruitment drives, scholarship initiatives and community outreach efforts aimed at cultivating the next generation of female athletes in the state.