Washington head men’s basketball coach Danny Sprinkle has announced the return of Quincy Pondexter to Montlake, with the Husky great joining the UW staff as special assistant to the head coach.
A former All-American and eight-year NBA veteran as a player, Pondexter spent the 2024-25 season at Big Ten foe USC as an assistant coach on Eric Musselman’s staff. Previously, Pondexter was an assistant coach at Washington for three seasons from 2021-24.
“Our program is very excited to welcome back Quincy,” Sprinkle said. “His Husky pride, commitment, and work ethic will enhance our program and culture just like he did as a player. He was always known for his relentless work ethic as a player and that has carried over into his coaching career and I am excited to work alongside him.”
Pondexter donned the purple and gold from 2006-10 and his name can be found etched all over the UW record book. He finished his Washington career with 1,786 points, which ranks fifth all-time. Pondexter recorded 83 career double-digit scoring games in a 136 games played while his 30 career 20-point nights rank fifth.
“I’m very excited to be back at Washington,” Pondexter said. “I bleed Purple and Gold and will forever be a Husky. I’m unbelievably thankful to Coach Sprinkle and staff for inviting me back home. I’ve always been a Husky and that’s never going to go away. I committed to the University of Washington in 2005 as a player and I’ve been forever committed since that day.”
Pondexter accumulated numerous awards during his career being named First Team All-Pac-10, NABC All-District First Team, USBWA All-District, AP All-American Honorable Mention, a FoxSports.com Fourth Team All-American and won a Pac-10 record five Player of the Week honors in one season. The forward was also a member of the 2009 Team USA squad that won the bronze medal at the World University Games.
Husky squads had unprecedented success with Pondexter on the roster as they won the Pac-10 Regular season Championship (2009) outright for the first time since 1953 and made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2005-06 season. Washington made two-straight NCAA appearances when Pondexter was the team captain, making the second round in 2009 and the Sweet 16 in 2010 while recording back-to-back 26-win seasons.
As a senior, the Dawgs also won the Pac-10 Tournament Championship in a dramatic 79-75 victory over California where Pondexter had a team-high 18 points. He finished his senior season averaging a team-high 19.3 points which ranks fourth all-time. Pondexter led the team in scoring, rebounding (7.4) and free throw percentage (82.7) during the 2009-10 campaign while putting up 17 20+ scoring nights.
Following college, Pondexter was selected as the No. 26 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft by Oklahoma City and was traded to the New Orleans Hornets. He went on to play for five teams spanning eight seasons in the league. After one year in New Orleans, Pondexter was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies where he stayed from 2011-14 playing in 168 games and averaged a career-best 8.9 points during the Grizzlies 2013 playoff run. He was sent back to New Orleans during the 2014-15 season and averaged a career best 9.0 points in 45 games played. Pondexter’s NBA career was slowed due to injury following a season with the Chicago Bulls (2017-18) and the San Antonio Spurs (2018-19).
While starring in the NBA, Pondexter started his coaching path with the AAU teams California United in 2015 and Las Vegas Elite developing youth basketball players and helping them prepare for collegiate ball.
Originally from Fresno, California, Pondexter starred at San Joaquin Memorial High school where he averaged 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists per game during his senior season. He was a highly touted recruit being ranked in the top 50 in the country by all major recruiting sites. He was the MVP of the Pangos All-American Camp and an All-Star game starter at the Adidas Superstar Camp in 2004 and 2005.
“Montlake has always had a special place in my heart and I’m looking forward to the next wave of Husky legends being born here at Hec Ed. As a player, I had an unbelievable experience winning championships and making Husky Nation proud and I can’t wait to bring back those glory days as a member of Coach Sprinkle’s staff.”
Quincy Pondexter named Special Assistant to the Head Coach at Washington
