Centre College coach Greg Mason joked with referee Tony Greene during an exhibition game against UK in Rupp Arena. Mason took over as Centre's head coach in 1999 but announced his retirement Thursday. (Centre College Athletics Photo)
Since the 1996-97 season, Greg Mason has been on the Centre College bench during basketball season — and that doesn’t even count the four years he played for the Colonels.
He rejoined the Colonels as an assistant coach for Mike DeWitt for the 1996-97 season and took over as head coach for the 1999-2000 season. He is Centre’s all-time winningest coach and got his 450th career in January. He finishes his career with 459 wins.
However, after three major health scares last season, Mason has decided to give up his coaching position.
“Obviously today was really hard when I spoke with our team,” said Mason Thursday night. “It could be the most talented team coming back that I would have ever coached. They are a wonderful group of young men and so talented.
“I just have an opportunity that I can’t divulge that was way too good for me to pass up. I think this group can really do things that have not been done here in a while.”
Mason’s teams won seven conference tournament titles between 2007 and 2020 and 11 regular season conference crowns.
An All-SCAC guard at Centre, Mason scored 1,082 points and had 74 assists. He had seven school records when he graduated including most three-pointers in a career (244) and best three-point percentage in a single season (51.6). Centre went 64-37 in his four seasons with three conference titles.
“Centre College and Centre Basketball has a legendary history of tradition and success. Coach Mason has made a huge impact for decades and touched so many lives on and off the court. I wish him nothing but the best in his next chapter of life. Once a Colonel, always a Colonel,” Centre assistant coach Gavin Root posted on social media after Mason announced his resignation.
Mason had eye surgery twice last season to correct detached retinas along with surgery on his leg.
“The players knew all that I went through last year. Most people may not realize how scary those things were,” Mason said Thursday night. “The good thing is I am 100 percent healthy now. My eyesight is 20-20 in my surgical eye. When you have a health crisis, you reassess what is important and who is important to you.
“This was a decision for the Mason family. My head told me this is what I needed to do but it took a while for my heart to jump in there, too. It was not an easy decision.”
Mason, 54, has an 8-year-old daughter, Lucy, and his wife, Whitney, is an elementary school teacher in the Danville school system.
“This was a family decision but for most of my adult life, I have been a Centre College basketball coach,” Mason said.
Root took over as interim coach when Mason had his health issues and spearheaded recruiting that has helped bring in the talented roster Mason believes the Colonels have.
Mason praised Root for what he did last season but does not plan to get involved in the coaching search.
“I am going to stay out of that. That is somebody else’s decision to make. All I know is that the next coach is going to have a really good group of players to work with,” Mason said.
One Response
I went to high school and Centre with Greg. His mom was also my teacher in high school. Great guy. Great coach.