The Journey: Ganiyat Adeduntan returns to GW

On3’s Talia Goodman is showcasing women’s college basketball coaches taking over at new schools. This is the seventh edition of year two of the series – in which we’ll take a deeper look at some of the 60-plus coaches who took over new programs during a turbulent offseason. This time we learn more about Ganiyat Adeduntan, the new head coach at George Washington.

Ganiyat Adeduntan bio

HOMETOWN: Athens, GA
EXPERIENCE: 2021-25: Colgate (head coach), 2017–21: George Washington (assistant coach), 2014-17: Northeastern, 2012-14: Wheelock
PLAYED: Florida State: 2002–06

Why GW?

For Adeduntan, the decision to return to GW was based on familiarity, belief and fit.

“I think back to being an assistant coach and choosing to coach here, and it’s all the same reasons,” Adeduntan said. “The academic reputation, the ability to change a student-athlete’s life and trajectory, Washington, D.C., the history and tradition of winning. GW presents so many competitive advantages, and it’s a place where I strongly believe you can win.”

But leaving Colgate wasn’t easy. 

“It was going to take a lot to pull me from those players and the culture we had built there,” she said. “I felt strongly about our trajectory and where we were going. But you can’t ever control when something comes open. This was just a significant fit for me – personally as well.”

Already familiar with GW and recruiting the DMV, Adeduntan hit the ground running in a year that relied heavily on relationships in building a roster.

“I didn’t have to figure out who to ask for help or where to go…,” she said. “I knew the expectations, the people, the area. Even knowing where to live and where to grocery shop made the transition less stressful. And being very familiar with the DMV, that was a space that we kept recruiting at Colgate too. Those relationships always go a long way. It allowed for almost a seamless transition.”

In building her roster, she first looked inward. 

“It started with assessing what we had,” Adeduntan explained. “When I got the job, it was a lot more aggressive with understanding who we had returning on the roster, understanding what previously happened. Having a familiarity with the league and I’m a basketball junkie, I watch league games all the time, so I had a good pulse…Then it was about identifying the best available players who could help us get just a little bit better.”

Coaching philosophy and mindset

Her approach is shaped by her background — both on the court and as a registered nurse.

“My philosophy is holistic,” Adeduntan said. “I lean into my nursing background. I was trained to take care of people holistically, and that’s how I coach. I’m relationship-driven, passionate, detail-oriented, competitive and bring a lot of enthusiasm. We’re going to work, but we’re also going to celebrate everything as we go.”

That nursing background helps keep things in perspective. 

“It’s not life and death with basketball,” she said. “I want to win every single time, but at the end of the day, I’m coaching a game of basketball, so the measurement of success is different for me. We’re going to win here at GW because of the things that we value…Basketball is a game of imperfection – you make mistakes, you move on…The nursing piece reminds me every day that it’s about the people, not the outcome.”

Something you may not know about Adeduntan

Her coaching identity is often tied to her nursing background, but there’s another piece too – one that dates back to her playing days at Florida State.

“My nickname in college was GMO,” she said with a laugh. “It started as G-Money, because I was money with my shot. People at Florida State didn’t even know my first name, it was just GMO. Now one of my social handles is @NurseGMO — the GMO for basketball and the nurse for the profession I was in previously. It’s a big part of me.”