Vanessa Blair-Lewis

Vanessa Blair-Lewis
Blair-Lewis at the 2026 Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Championship Tournament at the Henrico Sports & Events Center
Current position
TitleHead coach
TeamGeorge Mason
ConferenceAtlantic 10
Record99–58 (.631)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1998–2007Mount St. Mary's
2008–2020Bethune–Cookman
2021–presentGeorge Mason
Head coaching record
Overall415–361 (.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)

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.

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

Statistics overview
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  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

  1. ^ a b Northam, Mitchell (February 3, 2026). "How Vanessa Blair-Lewis built a women's basketball winner at George Mason". USA Today. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  2. ^ Heavren, Natalie (April 8, 2021). "Vanessa Blair-Lewis comes home to George Mason". The IX Sports. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  3. ^ Bembry, Jerry (March 21, 2025). "Finding a broken team, Vanessa Blair-Lewis dared George Mason to dream big". Andscape. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  4. ^ "Vanessa Blair-Lewis". George Mason Athletics. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  5. ^ "Vanessa Blair-Lewis". Sports Reference CBB. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
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