Derrick Mason is heading into his 2nd season as the Associate Head coach for the Emmanuel College Basketball program and his 8th season overall as a coach for the Lions.
Mason serves as the director of recruiting, operations, academic counseling and individual development in addition to on-the-floor coaching. Mason is also the Head Coach for the Men's Junior Varsity basketball team.
“Derrick was a good player, but he is an even better coach,” said Coach Rosene. “He has the respect of the players and his colleagues because of the hard work he puts in and they know he truly cares for them. He takes great pride in game preparation, and he is strong in the areas of time management and organization.”
Derrick has helped direct the team to a 150-55 (73.2 percent) record his first 7 years on the coaching staff. Moreover, the Lions competed in the NAIA National Tournament four times competing in the National Championship game once. The Lions were also crowned Southern States Athletic Conference Champions and received the NCCAA National Championship runner-up. In addition, Mason has helped develop one NAIA All-American (Michael Stanley) and two SSAC All-Conference players (Michael Stanley and Adrian Justice).
Born in Atmore, AL., Derrick graduated from Escambia County High School in 1996. He was a three-year basketball and football letterman. As an Emmanuel College Lion, he was a starting power forward under Coach Jerry Boone. As an athlete, Mason was known for his size, agility, and extraordinary work ethic while leading the team in rebounding and setting the school record for single season and single game blocked shots.
Derrick, earned a Bachelor's degree in Kinesiology from Emmanuel in May 2003. Derrick currently serves as a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and the Georgia Basketball Coaches Association (GABCA).
Derrick possesses a unique combination of youth development and basketball experience which has enabled him to serve as a tremendous asset to Coach Rosene's coaching staff over the past 7 seasons. Mason's tenure as a coach began as a graduate assistant coach here at Emmanuel College under Coach Jerry Boone in 2001. His coaching career continued as a lay coach at Elbert County Comprehensive High School (ECCHS). Mason, who had been an assistant coach on the basketball staff at ECCHS for four seasons, joined Emmanuel coaching staff in a similar capacity in August of 2009. During his tenure at ECCHS he served under previous head coaches, Brian Turner and Larry Brown. He was responsible for player development which included, but not limited to, the spiritual, physical, educational and social development of the athletes. Mason played an intricate part in the success of the basketball program.
