Remembering respected basketball coach Tonya Mackey and her impact in the Savannah community

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.