'I Enjoyed Every Minute of it and Will Miss it Very Much'

For the first time in 35 years, the sidelines of Masuk High girls basketball games will be without its sage in the cardigan sweater next season.

Longtime girls basketball coach David Strong announced his retirement at the end of this basketball season after 42 years as a basketball coach as Masuk, including seven years as the boys head coach. The extremely successful Strong leaves with a 704-156 record, including state championship titles in 1990, 1991 and 1995.

During his illustrious career, Strong won CHSCA Coach of the Year in 1982, National High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 2002, the Gold Key from the Connecticut Sportswriters Association in 2006, induction into the CHSCA Hall of Fame in 2000, induction into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002 (inaugural class), induction into the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004 and induction into the National High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2009.

Strong said he's leaving coaching due to “health considerations,” but this past season didn't make the hard decision any easier.

“We had a great year. It was one of the best in the last several years and I enjoyed it very much and would not be retiring if not for health considerations,” Strong said.

Basketball in His Blood

Strong's affinity with basketball dates back to his days of playing for Woodbury High School (now Nonnewaug High School). He didn't play in college, but the avid chess player jumped at the chance to coach the Masuk High boys basketball team in 1979.

Strong said he is drawn to basketball by the strategy involved in the game, but his longtime commitment to coaching was cemented through the connection he made with his players.

“I like the changing situations,” Strong said of basketball. “I have a very large background in games, especially in chess, and if there is anything that a game is; it is one big chess game where people make moves and then you make counter moves and then counter-counter moves. I enjoy the challenge of taking all of your personnel and fitting them together as parts of a puzzle. It's also about the interaction with kids. I was a math teacher for 36 years at Masuk and the interaction with girls and boys on the basketball court gives you a different side of them and a different level of satisfaction from the classroom.”

Strong brought a great amount of satisfaction to his teams. In addition to the three state championships with the Lady Panthers, Strong coached four state runners-up and claimed 19 league championships. Under Strong, Masuk reached the state tournament quarterfinals or better 25 times and Masuk is the only team to qualify for the girls’ basketball tournament every year since the tournament started in 1974. Strong also coached Masuk girls basketball to a 50-game winning streak from 1994-96, a 93-game regular-season winning streak from 1993-97 and seven undefeated regular seasons.

Proud of his players

When asked about his favorite memories as a coach, Strong notes his first state championship in 1990 with his daughter Julia on the team and a league championship the following year, in which the Panthers exacted revenge on a team that beat them by 17 points earlier in the season with a 27-26 overtime win. True to his chess-player mentality, Masuk won the league title game by playing a slowdown game that gave his team the edge.

However, his best memories are not just of big games and the clever coaching. Strong said the most satisfying part of his career is watching players grow athletically and emotionally.

“Every kid that has been through the program and graduated or played basketball for four years and gone on to college and had successful careers afterward is memorable,” he said. “In one case there was a girl who was the first in her family to go to college and basketball helped get her there.”

There has been plenty of individual player achievement during Strong's tenure, including 26 All-State recognitions, five members of the All-State Academic team, 14 1,000-point scorers, 55 players advanced to the college basketball level and, most importantly for Strong, 14 Sportsmanship Awards, of which Masuk has won the last 10 in a row from the IAABO Board No. 9.

Ann Odoy, Strong's assistant for the last 13 years and one of the 1,000-point scorers that played for him, will succeed Strong as head coach for the Lady Panthers next year. She is one of 34 former players for Strong who entered the coaching ranks, including four former players who became head high school coaches.

Strong said he plans to “be a little scarce” early next season to allow Odoy the space to establish her own style and attitude, but plans to get to every game he can in the future.

“Thank you to all the people who contributed to my success over the last 35 years: Players, parents, Masuk administration, assistant coaches, media, and especially my wife and family for understanding how much time and energy it takes to be a coach,” Strong said. “I enjoyed every minute of it and will miss it very much.”