His legacy cemented long before Saturday, Galesburg High School girls basketball coach Evan Massey has found a way to a break through into another echelon of the sport.
The Silver Streaks defeated the United Township Panthers 55-46 before a packed crowd in a tiny gym Saturday afternoon in East Moline, and for the 1,000th time in his career, Massey walked away the winner in a varsity girls basketball game.
Massey joins an exclusive four-digit win club that has been attained by just three other girls coaches in Illinois, and only four for boys and girls basketball combined. The only other Illinois girls basketball coaches to secure 1,000 career victories are both retired — Dorothy Gaters of Chicago Marshall with 1,153 wins and David Power primarily of Fenwick with 1,020 wins. Gene Pingatore of Westchester St. Joseph — with 1,035 career victories — is the only Illinois boys coach to reach the milestone.
According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, Massey becomes just the 16th girls basketball coach nationally with 1,000 career wins. Among active coaches, only five others nationally have more wins than Massey.
Massey’s mark of 1,000-390 translates into a career winning percentage of .719.
Evan Massey ‘already on the Mount Rushmore of coaches’
But while 1,000 career wins is a significant milestone for the coach in his 46th season at the helm of the Silver Streaks, former players and a longtime assistant coach say it’s more than victories, state trophies and conference championships that make Massey a legend.
Shanell Jackson Lightfoot, GHS Class of 2001, was a key player for the Streaks during their run of six straight state tournament appearances.
“Coach Massey has won a lot of games, and though winning games is fun and why we’re here celebrating Coach today, it’s not what makes GHS girls basketball and Evan Massey truly legendary,” said Jackson Lightfoot, now of Atlanta.
“Winning has simply been the byproduct of what he built this program to be — one that focuses on player growth, character development, self discipline, and teamwork.”
Jackson Lightfoot added, “Evan Massey was already on the Mount Rushmore of girls basketball coaches in Illinois. The thousandth win is simply the cherry on top of a career and program he built from the ground up.”
Sarah Larson, GHS class of 1999, finished her playing career as Galesburg’s leading scorer and rebounder.
“It does not surprise me that he hit 1,000 wins because he approaches every game like it is the state finals,” Larson said. “He lives and breathes basketball on every level and there is not another person who can devote that much time and energy year after year and make every team feel like they are special.
“It feels like a fairytale that just doesn’t end and I love that somethings never seem to change when it comes to Galesburg girls basketball.”
Win No. 1,000 wasn’t easy
The Streaks remained unbeaten through eight games this season and improved to 3-0 in the Western Big 6 Conference. But career win No. 1,000 was anything but easy for Massey and the Streaks on Saturday.
Facing a UTHS team with the same 7-0 record, the Streaks were behind most of the first half, trailing 19-11 after a quarter and 29-23 at halftime. Galesburg turned it around in the second half, however, and carried a 42-38 lead into the final period.
The Streaks held off the Panthers down the stretch, and when the clock reached zeroes, Massey had reached his milestone.
Massey was presented with a commemorative 1,000 ball by Galesburg Athletic Director Eric Matthews before the Streaks mobbed their coach in celebration.
Senior Kiarra Kilgore led the Streaks with 25 points, while Antonia Kisler added 17, including a pair of key 3-pointers in the second half.
“A thousand wins is just amazing,” said Riverdale coach Jay Hatch, a close friend of Massey and previously the long time girls coach at Alleman. “If you look around coaching, it’s hard to maintain longevity, and he’s been able to do that.
“I’ve coached against him since the late 80s, and he never has a bad team. I guess that’s how you get to a thousand wins, right? When I was in the Big 6, my first thought always was: will this work against Galesburg? For a long time, if you wanted any chance to win the conference, you had to beat Galesburg.”
At one point in his career, Massey’s girls basketball teams won a state record 18 regional championships and 9 straight sectional championships — both state records.
And he made Redbird Arena in Normal a home away from home as his teams advanced to 8 Elite 8s — highlighted by a second (1999), a third (1996) and two fourth-place trophies (2000 and 2001).
Massey’s teams have won 26 regional championships and 10 sectional titles, and have appeared in eight Elite 8’s and five Final 4’s.
His record of 291-154 in the Western Big 6 makes him the winningest coach — girls or boys — in conference history.
‘Getting 1,000 wins is a REALLY big deal’
Michael Rux joined Massey’s staff as sophomore coach for the 1990-91 season. Now in his 34th season working with Massey, Rux has watched the head coach hit the milestones of 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900 and 1,000 victories.
“Getting 1,000 wins is a big deal — a REALLY big deal,” Rux said. “Coaching is not always easy and being able to put together competitive teams consistently, year after year is hard to do.
Massey Milestones
Win Date Opponent/Score
1 1978-1979 Alexis 60-29
100 1986-1987 Champaign (Centennial) 55-44
200 1991-1992 Quincy 69-34
300 11-22-1995 East Moline 73-43
400 12-29-1998 Washington 75-51
500 1-5-2002 Sherrard 56-18
600 2-17-2005 Peoria HS 69-57
700 12-21-2009 Canton 87-65
800 11-18-2014 East Peoria 71-32
900 11-24-2018 Pontiac 31-21
1000 12-2-2023 UTHS 55-46
“Getting kids to put in the work they need to to get better, and being there to give them opportunities and connecting with them is challenge that not everyone can do. Putting the time and effort into preparing for games and practices takes a commitment that the people of Galesburg can be proud of.
“Coach Massey has been a great ambassador for not only Galesburg Girls’ Basketball, but for Galesburg High School, the city of Galesburg, and for athletes and coaches in the state of Illinois.”
Amy Crisman Howell, GHS Class of 1981, played on Massey’s first varsity girls basketball team in 1978-79. She was so good, and made such an impact on the program that the Streaks annually present the Amy Crisman Award for Excellence to the team’s most outstanding player.
“I’m just glad to have been a small part in Coach Massey getting 1,000 wins,” Crisman Howell said. “The time spent on helping players reach their potential was forefront in his mind. The 1,000 wins are proof that he did just that.
“To watch him take the program to where it is today from where it was when I played in his first year is pretty impressive.”
Crisman Howell said the program, and girls basketball in general, has come a long way since she played in the late 70s and early 80s.
“He’s continually grown the program,” said Crisman Howell, who resides in Middletown, Iowa. “From the open gyms, to the summer league, to team camps, to conditioning to the team meals. All of that stuff really binds a team together and makes the girls feel apart of a program.
“So, I’m not surprised at all he’s accomplished what he has. I attribute a lot of that to his family — his father and his brother were deeply rooted in coaching. I know coaching was important and a big deal to him.”
Fellow 1981 GHS grad Teresa Powell echoed Crisman Howell’s comments.
“Hard work, dedication, and commitment are just a few things I learned from Coach Massey,” said Powell, who now resides in Zephyrhills, Florida. “He has impacted many players’ lives. Lessons of life are learned through this game.”
‘His work ethic was second to none’
Molly Watson Fordyce was an all-stater for the Streaks during their state run, then went on to star for DePaul University. She said she’s not surprised her former coach has entered the 1,000 win club.
“He has consistently outworked his opponents for many years,” said Watson Fordyce, now a health and PE teacher residing in West Lafayette, Indiana. “I am so honored that I had the opportunity to play for such a legendary coach and program. I am happy for Coach Massey and for all of his staff and players throughout the years.”
Watson Fordyce said playing for Massey was “everything you could hope for in a coach,” noting he had many distinctive qualities that made him stand out.
“His work ethic was second to none,” Watson Fordyce said. “He was always doing something to help improve the program, team, or coaching staff. I also admired his ability to motivate individual players as well as the team as a whole.
“Coach Massey was ahead of his time with his understanding of the psychology of coaching. He understood this better than any other coach I have met. The teams I played on at Galesburg had the best chemistry of any teams I have been involved with.”
Massey’s leadership and attention to detail, according to Watson Fordyce, allowed the Streaks to achieve success.
“Details like weight training, off-season skill work, team building, building our attendance, hosting summer league, and playing the top talent in the state – all have played a major role in building the culture of the GHS girl’s basketball program,” she said.
Organization and preparation lead to Streaks success
Sara Wood, Class of 1996, was a starting guard for Streaks teams that went 82-15, won two conference titles and finished third in the state. She says Massey was a master at organization.
“Playing for Coach Massey was like playing for the most organized and prepared person imaginable,” Wood said. “I always felt prepared for every game and every scenario, you just had to execute.
“The emphasis on basic basketball skills was always first and foremost, developing good habits, understanding the game, recognizing different defenses and offenses and how to adjust were instilled early.”
Wood points to the preparation Massey and his staff put into the program year around, mentioning film breakdown, analyzing individual player strengths and weaknesses, opponents play calls and defenses and the ability to adjust to unforeseen circumstances like injuries.
“And these were just things during the season/games,” Wood said. “Organizing team dinners, the longest running summer league, team camps, fundraisers, summer tournaments, coming in during the off season to shoot and strength train, staying late after practice so players could work on individual skills.
“It takes being away from the program to really appreciate all the extra time and work that Coach Massey has put into the program to truly appreciate the impact.”
Follow the Massey blueprint
Jackson Lightfoot said she stepped into Streaks girls basketball at just the right time.
“By the late 90s when I became a varsity player, the tradition of excellence had already been well established,” she said. “All we had to do was follow the blueprint Coach Massey developed, which centered around being disciplined enough to do the work that most people who said they wanted to be great weren’t willing to do.
“And because we bought into the psychology of forming habits, the importance of mental toughness, and why we needed to fall in love with processes — we were one of the most competitive teams in the state of Illinois year after year.”
Success in terms of wins and losses, however, didn’t come right away for Massey. He took over the Galesburg girls basketball program in 1978 and his teams had winning records in just 3 of their first 9 seasons.
Since then, Massey has led the Streaks to 36 straight winning seasons.
“Evan is a good coach because he works at it,” Rux said. “At the beginning of my time with him, it was driving to games to scout opponents, writing up scouting reports, talking and networking with other coaches at GHS and outside the school, promoting athletes for scholarships to colleges or promoting them for state-level awards, making connections in the business community by speaking at service clubs and talking with business owners to gain support for our teams.
“I think he has surrounded himself with good people who work hard at what they do.”
Former Register-Mail sports writer and column Tom Loewy covered Massey’s teams for many years, including their run of trips to state.
“Covering Massey-coached teams was so much fun as a journalist for so many reasons,” Loewy said. “He always had ideas for stories. He pointed out players who had improved and how they made those improvements.
“Massey and Rux also provided the best, most-complete and comprehensive statistics and statistical history of the teams. It was amazing. Better than a lot of small-college media guides. In-season statistics also were nothing short of amazing.”
Loewy said one word sums up the success of Silver Streaks girls basketball under Massey, and that’s culture.
“I’m quite certain he will tell you that the milestone is a reflection of the players, the culture, and the community. And he’s right,” Loewy said. “But what makes Massey singular is the way he shaped the players and the culture and that he never stood in the way of the community embracing his teams.
“Coaching is hard. Communities can turn on coaches. Massey avoided a lot of that, I think, because he showed every player how they are part of team, part of a tradition and a culture, and a part of the success. It’s an amazing program.
“Honestly, look at Mike Rux. He stays in that program all those years, an integral part of all of it. That tells you the power of the culture, I think. It’s very genuine. And very inclusive. That’s amazing.”
Larson said planning was key for the Massey-led Streaks.
“Every detail of our lives were scripted out,” Larson said. “What we would eat, where we would go, how we would get there and all we had to do was show up and play basketball.
“It’s funny because when you are a high school kid, you just go with the flow. You joke with your friends non stop and then you get serious about an hour before the game. You have no idea as a kid the level of planning that goes into that level playing.”
‘He is the GOAT’
For Watson Fordyce, Massey’s impact has been impactful and one that’s lasted beyond her days on the basketball court.
“Coach Massey has had a huge impact on my life,” Watson Fordyce said. “He believed in me before I had even accomplished anything as an athlete. He helped me grow as an athlete and as a person. I appreciate all the time and effort he put into making my high school basketball experience one that I will never forget.
“I am also thankful for his willingness to stay connected throughout the years. This shows that it’s more than wins and losses to him. He truly cares about making a positive impact on his student-athletes.”
Wood echoed Watson’s sentiments, saying she took the lessons she learned from Massey and Galesburg Basketball and applied them to all aspects of life.
“From college to the Marine Corps, preparation, team work, selflessness and sacrifice along with hard work and dedication are lessons that I have applied to my life that I learned from Coach Massey,” Wood said. “Coach Massey is always there for his players, from those playing to him today to those that played for him over 40 years ago, he is always someone that we can go to for advice and who still takes an interest in our lives.
“The impact he has had on my life and those of my teammates is immeasurable and I am beyond thrilled for his achievement of 1,000 career wins.”
Jackson Lightfoot said she’s honored to have played for Massey.
“He is the GOAT and I’m happy to be apart of his legacy,” she said. “Congratulations, Coach. I’m honored to give you your flowers while you’re still actively doing what you love. Cheers to another couple hundred wins.”
