James “Jimmy” Lewis Athlete / Coach

James “Jimmy” Lewis

Athlete / Coach

James “Jimmy” Lewis, an Alexandria native, has accumulated an impressive list of “firsts”: the honor of being one of the first black basketball players at West Virginia University, the first African-American coach of any sport at Duke University (1971), and the first coach of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Washington Mystics.  He started Division 1 Women’s Basketball at George Mason University and was elected to the USA Basketball Executive Committee.