College basketball veteran Rob Judson has joined the DePaul basketball staff as the Special Assistant to the Head Coach announced today by head coach Tony Stubblefield. The Zion, Ill., native brings over 30 years of coaching experience to Lincoln Park.
“We are fortunate to add a person like Rob Judson to our staff here at DePaul,” said Stubblefield. “He will provide us insight not only in the Midwest, but also with his recent experience in the BIG EAST. Coach Judson is ingrained in the sport of basketball at all levels throughout the state of Illinois and we are excited to have him with us at DePaul.”
During his time on the sidelines, which includes over three decades at the NCAA Division I level, he has seen over 20 players he either recruited or coached play in the NBA and one find a career in the NFL. Prior to DePaul, Judson spent the previous four seasons at Marquette as the Special Assistant to the Head Coach with the Golden Eagles. Judson has worked under head coaches Jim Molinari (Northern Illinois and Bradley), Lon Kruger and Bill Self (Illinois), Tim Jankovich (Illinois State) and Tom Crean (Indiana). He has the distinction of winning three Big Ten Championships with three different Head Coaches (Kruger, Self, Crean). Judson also played for Hall of Famer Lou Henson at Illinois.
“It is a special honor and privilege to be appointed to a coaching staff position under the leadership of Tony Stubblefield at DePaul University,” said Judson. “My excitement to work again in Chicago and the BIG EAST is tremendous. This is a special time to compete for excellence in Wintrust Arena and help grow the Blue Demon brand. I want to thank Coach Stubblefield and DeWayne Peevy for this opportunity to unite together with them in the outstanding tradition of DePaul Basketball.”
Judson was an assistant for Illinois from 1996-2001, where he served as a top recruiter for Kruger and Self and watched the Fighting Illini make four NCAA tournament appearances in five years and win Big Ten crowns in 1998 and 2001. He also was credited with recruiting two Big Ten Players of the Year in Frank Williams and Brian Cook.
After his stint at Illinois, Judson was named head coach at Northern Illinois University. He spent six years with the Huskies where he took over a team, which won just five games the year before and 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, Judson’s 2005-06 squad posted a 17-11 mark and won the only Mid-American Conference West Division Championship in NIU history.
Judson began his coaching career immediately after graduating from Illinois when he became an assistant coach at Palatine High School in 1980. He became a head coach the following year at Wauconda High School where he stayed from 1981-83 and then became the head coach at Glenbrook South High School from 1984-89.
In 1990, Judson was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) Hall of Fame as a player. The IBCA also awarded Judson the prestigious Herrin Award for 2020. He earned a bachelor of arts 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 three grown children, Karin (married to Jay Sutton & son Judson), Matthew and Kristin.
Rob Judson Named Special Assistant to the Head Coach for DePaul Men’s Basketball
