Vanessa Blair-Lewis
American college basketball coach
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Vanessa Blair-Lewis is an American college basketball coach who is currently the head coach of the George Mason Patriots women's basketball team. She was previously the head coach of the women's basketball teams at Mount St. Mary's University and Bethune–Cookman University.
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Blair-Lewis at the 2026 Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Championship Tournament at the Henrico Sports & Events Center | |
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | George Mason |
| Conference | Atlantic 10 |
| Record | 99–58 (.631) |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1998–2007 | Mount St. Mary's |
| 2008–2020 | Bethune–Cookman |
| 2021–present | George Mason |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 415–361 (.535) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| NEC regular season (1999) NEC regular season (2001) MEAC regular season (2016) MEAC regular season (2017) MEAC regular season (2018) MEAC tournament (2019) MEAC regular season (2020) Atlantic 10 tournament (2025) Atlantic 10 regular season (2026) | |
Career
Blair-Lewis played basketball at Largo High School in Largo, Maryland, where her father was the head coach. From 1988 to 1992, she attended and played for Mount St. Mary's; after graduating, she played professionally for two years in Sweden. She began coaching as an assistant at her alma mater under head coach Bill Sheahan; when Sheehan retired in 1998, he appointed her as head coach. She led the Mount St. Mary's women's basketball team until 2007, when she retired to spend time with her family.[1]
Blair-Lewis returned to coaching the next year, when she took the head coaching position at Bethune–Cookman. She coached at Bethune–Cookman until 2020; during her time there, she was awarded Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Coach of the Year four times, and she led the team to its first appearance in the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament in 2019.[1][2] She was hired as head coach at George Mason in 2021. The team had lost all of its conference matches the season before her arrival; to motivate the team, she hung a banner in their practice gym proclaiming them "Future Women's Atlantic 10 Champions". Her prediction ultimately came true, as the team won the 2025 Atlantic 10 women's basketball tournament and made its first appearance in the NCAA tournament.[3]
Personal life
Blair-Lewis is married to NBA referee Eric Lewis.[4]
Head coaching record
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount St. Mary's (Northeast Conference) (1998–2007) | |||||||||
| 1998–99 | Mount St. Mary's | 21–7 | 18–2 | 1st | |||||
| 1999–2000 | Mount St. Mary's | 20–9 | 14–4 | 2nd | |||||
| 2000–01 | Mount St. Mary's | 15–14 | 13–5 | 1st | |||||
| 2001–02 | Mount St. Mary's | 12–16 | 9–9 | 7th | |||||
| 2002–03 | Mount St. Mary's | 10–18 | 8–10 | 8th | |||||
| 2003–04 | Mount St. Mary's | 9–19 | 8–10 | 6th | |||||
| 2004–05 | Mount St. Mary's | 9–19 | 8–10 | 6th | |||||
| 2005–06 | Mount St. Mary's | 12–16 | 9–9 | 6th | |||||
| 2006–07 | Mount St. Mary's | 12–17 | 10–8 | 4th | |||||
| Mount St. Mary's: | 120–135 (.471) | ||||||||
| Bethune–Cookman (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) (2008–2020) | |||||||||
| 2008–09 | Bethune–Cookman | 12–17 | 4–12 | 9th | |||||
| 2009–10 | Bethune–Cookman | 17–15 | 9–7 | 5th | |||||
| 2010–11 | Bethune–Cookman | 13–17 | 7–10 | 9th | |||||
| 2011–12 | Bethune–Cookman | 10–19 | 7–9 | 7th | |||||
| 2012–13 | Bethune–Cookman | 12–17 | 7–9 | 8th | |||||
| 2013–14 | Bethune–Cookman | 12–18 | 8–8 | 6th | |||||
| 2014–15 | Bethune–Cookman | 13–17 | 9–7 | 5th | |||||
| 2015–16 | Bethune–Cookman | 18–13 | 12–4 | 1st | |||||
| 2016–17 | Bethune–Cookman | 21–11 | 15–1 | 1st | |||||
| 2017–18 | Bethune–Cookman | 24–7 | 15–1 | 1st | |||||
| 2018–19 | Bethune–Cookman | 21–11 | 11–5 | 3rd | NCAA 1st Round | ||||
| 2019–20 | Bethune–Cookman | 23–6 | 15–1 | 1st | |||||
| Bethune–Cookman: | 196–168 (.538) | ||||||||
| George Mason (Atlantic 10 Conference) (2021–present) | |||||||||
| 2021–22 | George Mason | 10–19 | 3–12 | 14th | |||||
| 2022–23 | George Mason | 16–15 | 8–8 | 9th | |||||
| 2023–24 | George Mason | 23–8 | 14–4 | 4th | WBIT 1st Round | ||||
| 2024–25 | George Mason | 27–6 | 14–4 | 2nd | NCAA 1st Round | ||||
| 2025–26 | George Mason | 23–10 | 16–2 | T–1st | WBIT First Round | ||||
| George Mason: | 99–58 (.631) | ||||||||
| Total: | 415–361 (.535)[5] | ||||||||
|
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
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