Rob Judson

Position: Assistant Coach Alma Mater: Illinois, 1980; Roosevelt, 1983

Rob Judson joined the Illinois State staff prior to the 2007-08 season, but his reputation as a master recruiter and a detailed teacher has been built over his nearly 20 years of collegiate coaching experience in the state of Illinois.

Prior to Illinois State, Judson spent six seasons (2001-07) as the head coach at Northern Illinois, where he compiled a 74-101 record. Taking over a team that had won just five games the year before, Judson led NIU to 12 wins in his first season. He then led the Huskies to the first of two 17-win seasons, with a 17-14 record in 2002-03, followed by 10-20 and 11-17 campaigns. Judson's 2005-06 squad posted a 17-11 mark and won the only Mid-American Conference West Division Championship in NIU history.

Judson is no stranger to the state of Illinois or the Missouri Valley Conference. Prior to his stint with the Huskies, Judson spent the previous 12 years as an assistant coach at Northern Illinois (1989-91), Bradley (1991-96) and his alma mater, Illinois (1996-2001). During 12 years as a NCAA Division I assistant, Judson contributed to nine winning campaigns, including eight 20-win seasons, and recruited three conference players of the year - Bradley's Anthony Parker in the MVC (1996-97) and Illinois' Frank Williams (2000-01) and Brian Cook (2002-03) in the Big Ten.

Not only has Judson made six NCAA Tournament appearances and four trips to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT), he has coached four regular-season conference champions: the Mid-Continent Conference winner with Northern Illinois in 1991; the Missouri Valley Conference champion with Bradley in 1996; and the Big Ten Conference title holders in 1998 and 2001 with Illinois. During his 16 years as a NCAA Division I assistant coach, including last season at Illinois State, the teams he has coached have compiled a 258-148 record and a .635 winning percentage.

In his five years at Bradley, Judson helped the Braves to three-consecutive 20-win seasons (23-8, 20-10 and 22-8 during 1993-96), and three-straight postseason appearances.

As a player with the Illini (1977-80), Judson earned All-Big Ten Academic and fourth-team College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America honors as a junior. The next year, he repeated as an all-league all-academic selection. During his four years under former Illinois head coach Lou Henson, the Illini compiled a 70-52 record, including a 23-13 mark and third-place NIT finish in Judson's senior season. He also set the Illinois single-season (.957) and career (.875) free throw percentage standards.

In 1990, Judson was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) Hall of Fame as a player. He currently serves on that organization's Board of Directors. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal arts from Illinois in 1980 and a master's degree in administration from Roosevelt University in 1983.

Judson and his wife, Dr. Kim Judson, have two daughters, Karin and Kristin; and a son, Matthew.