Judie Mason with, from left, 2021 Kentucky all-stars Amelia Hodges of Bethlehem, Lara Akers of Danville and Alexa Smiddy of Southwestern. (Larry Vaught Photo)
She was an intense competitor who pushed her players to be the best they could be and never found a challenge that overwhelmed her.
Judie Mason also won a lot. She was 281-125 in 14 years as the Danville girls basketball coach and had a career record of 565-300 in 30 seasons at Somerset, Boyle County and Danville from 1991-2024. She is the all-time winningest coach in the 12th Region because all 565 of her wins came with 12th Region teams.
Mason recently resigned at Danville because she did not want to have to adjust to another new principal at the high school. She felt it was the right time to step away from the school where she won the 2014 regional title and numerous 12th Region All “A” Classic titles.
Despite all her wins Mason is more proud of the lives she helped change.
“Even when I was not coaching at Danville and still teaching, I remember trying to help kids,” she said. “I didn’t think I could ever win at Danville like I did and no one else did either. I am not sure me or anybody else thought I could come in and do what we did.”
Mason came to Danville after she lost her job at Boyle County. She didn’t mince words at the time that she took the job at Danville to show Boyle it made a mistake letting her go. However, Mason never anticipated the wins she would amass at Danville or the love affair she would have not only with her players but other students.
“I built relationships I would not trade for anything,” she said.
After she resigned, she got a text message from a former player who is now a major in the Army telling her she would not be where she was today if not for the “tough love” Mason showed her in high school.
“I always felt it was my job to teach young ladies how to make it in college and life,” Mason said. “I look at the kids who have gone to college for free to play basketball. I have helped young ladies go on to become strong women. I want to believe that everyone can look back at something I taught them that has helped in life.”
Mason only dismissed one player during his coaching tenure at Danville and never had a player quit the team.
“People do not know who the real Judie Mason is because I don’t let them see who I am. From the outside looking in you do not really know what it is like in my program,” Mason said. “I truly think I made a difference in a lot of lives at Danville High School and not just my basketball players. Danville has had some rough years and I became a mentor to kids and even some young coaches.
“I am so proud that the majority of my wins were at Class A schools. I never went into a program ready-made, never into a winning program. I never chased wins. If I had I would have taken other jobs. I never left Danville because of the bond I had with Danville kids. I didn’t jump ship to chase wins.”
Mason likes to win. Make no mistake about that.
“I am a firecracker and will point things out if they are not right and I did fight for my girls. Today I think people confuse passion and aggression. I am not aggressive but I am very passionate. I love the game. I love kids,” she said.
That’s why Mason likely will coach again. For 21 years she drove from Somerset where she lives to Boyle or Danville to coach. Most weeks she did that all seven days because of the time she put into her program.
“I may not have lived in Danville but I am loyal to Danville. That is one of my biggest things,” she said. “However, I don’t want to build another program and I don’t want to drive. I am not saying I won’t move but it would have to be the right job for me to do that. I have already had some offers. I don’t want to be anyone’s assistant. I don’t want to coach in college.
“I am not done coaching. When Danville changed administrations again, I just could not do it again. It was not personal. I am just tired of change. I am more energetic than I have been in 15 to 20 years. I am fine with my decision and know I still have a lot to offer kids and that means more to me than the wins ever will.”
