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Tonya Mackey's no-nonsense approach on the basketball coach served her well in her days as a high school player at St. Vincent's, and carried her on to a memorable college career at South Carolina State.
Her direct and practical personality helped her continue on as a coach in the sport she loved. She coached at the high school level locally at Johnson before moving on to jobs at Kentucky State and then to an 11-year run at her alma mater of South Carolina State — where was the Bulldog head women's coach from 2004-2008.
After a stint as an assistant at Jacksonville State, she eventually found her way back home to Savannah and landed a job with an up-and-coming program at New Hampstead, which fielded its first varsity team in 2013 with Mackey at the helm. The catch was that Mackey led the Phoenix boys program, becoming the first woman in the Savannah area to coach a varsity boys squad.
The highly-respected Mackey had a big impact with her players and the Savannah community in her final courtside run. Mackey died on Thursday, March 27, at the age of 57 after battling an illness over the last decade.
James Green is well known for his career as a coach and educator in the Hostess City. He led the Johnson boys basketball team to a state title in 1992 and a runnerup finish the next year and went on to become the principal at Savannah High and Jenkins.
Green said he remembers when Mackey burst into the Savannah basketball scene as the first freshman to ever start at St. Vincent's, where she played under SVA legend Sister Pat Coward.
"Coach Mackey and I had a very close relationship," Green said. "I knew her father when she was young and saw her play a lot in her days at St. Vincent's. She was great inside and very tough around the basket. She was a complete player who could shoot, rebound and handle the ball well. When you played against St. Vincent's, you had to make your game plan around her — she was that good."
Green followed Mackey's career arch closely as he settled into retirement in Charleston, and when he saw her take the job at New Hampstead — he picked up the phone and offered to be her assistant — joining her courtside with the Phoenix.
"Coach Mackey was the first women in our area to coach a boys team, and she didn't have a problem because she was so well schooled in basketball. Some coaches who are former players rely on their own playing experience too much, but coach Mackey was always going to clinics and staying abreast of new developments and strategies in the game," Green said. "She earned her player's respect with her her emphasis on discipline and knowledge of the game."
After her standout career at St. Vincent's, Mackey went on to South Carolina State and became a three-time letterman with the Bulldogs. As a senior, the team captain was named the squad's most improved player and was a second-team All-MEAC selection.
She was a member of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, the Black Coaches Association and the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
Sister Pat Coward left St. Vincent's after nearly 30 years as a coach and teacher in 2012 and has been working with the Sisters of Mercy in North Carolina ever since. She said she was sorry to hear about Mackey's passing.
"My memory of Tonya was as a gentle giant with our basketball team," Coward said. "She came in a freshman and was such a presence with her size and skills, but she was very shy. There was so much expected of her, and she quietly matured and became a leader, She was a great player who continued to grow and reach her full potential under a lot of pressure.
"She was always so eager to learn and always wanted to get better," Coward said. "And like so many graduates of St. Vincent's, Tonya played it forward and shared her talents with others as a coach. She had a gentle soul and will be missed."
Mackey led New Hampstead to the GHSA playoffs for the fifth year in a row in her final season at the helm in 2020. She led the Phoenix to state Sweet 16 berths in 2016 and 2017.
Calvin Turner was a three-sport star at New Hampstead who won the Ashley Dearing Award as the most versatile high school athlete in Savannah as a senior in 2017. He went on to play college football — closing out his career at the University of Hawaii. He is set to play in the Canadian Football League for the Toronto Argonauts in the upcoming season and is headed north to join the team from his Florida home in May.
Turner said Mackey was a coach who had a big impact on her player's lives.
"It was definitely something different playing basketball for a woman, but coach Mackey knew the game and that's all that mattered," Turner said. "She was passionate about basketball and was always tough on us. She would make sure we were doing everything right on the court, in class and as young men.
"She was very intense, but she was a very loyal person who took care of her players," Turner said. "Even when I was in college, she always checked in on me and kept up with everything I was doing, and she did that with all her players. That's what I'll always remember about her — she just cared so much."
Viewing services are set for Friday, April 4 from 4-6 p.m. at Adams Funeral Services, at 510 Stephenson Avenue in Savannah. Friends and family are encouraged to gather to celebrate her life.
Following the viewing, her funeral service will take place on Saturday, April 5 starting at 10 a.m. at the Alpha & Omega Worship Center, at 4906 Pineland Drive in Savannah, where friends and family are encouraged to share memories of Ms. Mackey.
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Tonya Mackey remembered for her role impacting lives as a basketball coach
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Her direct and practical personality helped her continue on as a coach in the sport she loved. She coached at the high school level locally at Johnson before moving on to jobs at Kentucky State and then to an 11-year run at her alma mater of South Carolina State — where was the Bulldog head women's coach from 2004-2008.
After a stint as an assistant at Jacksonville State, she eventually found her way back home to Savannah and landed a job with an up-and-coming program at New Hampstead, which fielded its first varsity team in 2013 with Mackey at the helm. The catch was that Mackey led the Phoenix boys program, becoming the first woman in the Savannah area to coach a varsity boys squad.
The highly-respected Mackey had a big impact with her players and the Savannah community in her final courtside run. Mackey died on Thursday, March 27, at the age of 57 after battling an illness over the last decade.
James Green is well known for his career as a coach and educator in the Hostess City. He led the Johnson boys basketball team to a state title in 1992 and a runnerup finish the next year and went on to become the principal at Savannah High and Jenkins.
Green said he remembers when Mackey burst into the Savannah basketball scene as the first freshman to ever start at St. Vincent's, where she played under SVA legend Sister Pat Coward.
"Coach Mackey and I had a very close relationship," Green said. "I knew her father when she was young and saw her play a lot in her days at St. Vincent's. She was great inside and very tough around the basket. She was a complete player who could shoot, rebound and handle the ball well. When you played against St. Vincent's, you had to make your game plan around her — she was that good."
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Green followed Mackey's career arch closely as he settled into retirement in Charleston, and when he saw her take the job at New Hampstead — he picked up the phone and offered to be her assistant — joining her courtside with the Phoenix.
"Coach Mackey was the first women in our area to coach a boys team, and she didn't have a problem because she was so well schooled in basketball. Some coaches who are former players rely on their own playing experience too much, but coach Mackey was always going to clinics and staying abreast of new developments and strategies in the game," Green said. "She earned her player's respect with her her emphasis on discipline and knowledge of the game."
After her standout career at St. Vincent's, Mackey went on to South Carolina State and became a three-time letterman with the Bulldogs. As a senior, the team captain was named the squad's most improved player and was a second-team All-MEAC selection.
She was a member of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, the Black Coaches Association and the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
Sister Pat Coward left St. Vincent's after nearly 30 years as a coach and teacher in 2012 and has been working with the Sisters of Mercy in North Carolina ever since. She said she was sorry to hear about Mackey's passing.
"My memory of Tonya was as a gentle giant with our basketball team," Coward said. "She came in a freshman and was such a presence with her size and skills, but she was very shy. There was so much expected of her, and she quietly matured and became a leader, She was a great player who continued to grow and reach her full potential under a lot of pressure.
"She was always so eager to learn and always wanted to get better," Coward said. "And like so many graduates of St. Vincent's, Tonya played it forward and shared her talents with others as a coach. She had a gentle soul and will be missed."
Mackey led New Hampstead to the GHSA playoffs for the fifth year in a row in her final season at the helm in 2020. She led the Phoenix to state Sweet 16 berths in 2016 and 2017.
Calvin Turner was a three-sport star at New Hampstead who won the Ashley Dearing Award as the most versatile high school athlete in Savannah as a senior in 2017. He went on to play college football — closing out his career at the University of Hawaii. He is set to play in the Canadian Football League for the Toronto Argonauts in the upcoming season and is headed north to join the team from his Florida home in May.
Turner said Mackey was a coach who had a big impact on her player's lives.
"It was definitely something different playing basketball for a woman, but coach Mackey knew the game and that's all that mattered," Turner said. "She was passionate about basketball and was always tough on us. She would make sure we were doing everything right on the court, in class and as young men.
"She was very intense, but she was a very loyal person who took care of her players," Turner said. "Even when I was in college, she always checked in on me and kept up with everything I was doing, and she did that with all her players. That's what I'll always remember about her — she just cared so much."
Services for Tonya Mackey
Viewing services are set for Friday, April 4 from 4-6 p.m. at Adams Funeral Services, at 510 Stephenson Avenue in Savannah. Friends and family are encouraged to gather to celebrate her life.
Following the viewing, her funeral service will take place on Saturday, April 5 starting at 10 a.m. at the Alpha & Omega Worship Center, at 4906 Pineland Drive in Savannah, where friends and family are encouraged to share memories of Ms. Mackey.
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Tonya Mackey remembered for her role impacting lives as a basketball coach
Continue reading...
