BY BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — When Robin Newsome first picked up a basketball in Lovely, girls basketball in Kentucky looked much different from what it does today.
The opportunities were fewer. The spotlight was smaller. The resources were limited.
Over the next five decades, Newsome would not only witness the growth of girls basketball but also help shape it.
From a record-setting player at Sheldon Clark High School to a standout collegiate athlete at Morehead State University and ultimately one of the winningest coaches in Kentucky history, Newsome built a legacy that few can match.
Now, after nearly 40 years as a head coach and 48 years connected to basketball as a player and coach, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Basketball Hall of Fame coach is retiring.
Newsome steps away with 562 career victories, ranking 10th among all girls basketball coaches in Kentucky history. Earlier this season, she became the winningest girls basketball coach in 15th Region history, adding another milestone to a résumé already filled with championships, records and Hall of Fame honors.
But the numbers only tell part of the story.
“Walking away from something I have actually done for 48 years if you count my time as a player in high school and college, is very sad,” Newsome said. “Coaching and playing the game were never just a job. It was part of me.”
Star is born
Long before she became Coach Newsome, she was Robin Harmon, a young girl from Lovely who developed a love for competition that would define her life.
At Sheldon Clark High School from 1974-78, Harmon established herself as one of the greatest players ever to wear a Lady Cardinals uniform.
Her teams compiled a remarkable 93-12 record while winning four consecutive 57th District championships and four straight 15th Region championships. Sheldon Clark advanced to four consecutive KHSAA Girls Sweet Sixteen state tournaments during her career, helping establish the program as one of Kentucky’s elite.
Harmon scored 3,098 career points, averaging 29.7 points per game. She remains Sheldon Clark’s second all-time leading scorer and ranks 24th on Kentucky’s all-time girls scoring list despite playing before the introduction of the 3-point line.
As a senior, she led the entire state in scoring, averaging more than 33 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds per game.
She still owns one of the most remarkable scoring performances in school history, scoring 52 points in a game while playing only one half.
Her accomplishments earned her first-team All-State honors in both 1977 and 1978. She was selected to the Kentucky All-Star team, earned East-West All-Star recognition, was named to the KHSAA State Tournament All-Tournament Team, and was invited to participate in the USA Junior National Team program, coached by legendary Tennessee coach Pat Head Summitt.
By the time her high school career ended, Harmon had already become one of the most decorated female athletes in Eastern Kentucky history.
Success at Morehead
Her basketball journey continued at Morehead State University.
From 1978-82, Harmon was a four-year starter for the Eagles and helped lead the program to one of the most successful stretches in school history.
She started on the only Morehead State women’s basketball team to win an Ohio Valley Conference championship and advance to the NCAA Tournament.
By the end of her collegiate career, she ranked among Morehead State’s all-time leaders in scoring and assists, finishing with 1,599 points while helping the Eagles compile an 86-36 record.
She was also a three-year softball player at Morehead State, further showcasing her athletic versatility.
Years later, her contributions would earn her induction into the Morehead State University Hall of Fame.
Building a dynasty
After graduating from Morehead State, Newsome returned home.
At just 22 years old, she accepted the challenge of coaching girls basketball at her alma mater.
In her very first season as head coach in 1982-83, she guided Sheldon Clark to the state tournament.
It was a sign of things to come.
Over the next 25 years, Newsome transformed Sheldon Clark into one of the most respected girls basketball programs in Kentucky.
Her teams won 425 games, captured 11 district championships and three regional championships and became a fixture in postseason play before her first retirement.
She coached 17 All-State selections and helped develop numerous college players, including Ida Bowen, who became Martin County’s only Miss Kentucky Basketball.
Winning became synonymous with Sheldon Clark basketball.
“Coaching the games and the winning became something I chased. It was in my blood,” Newsome stated.
Yet Newsome never viewed success solely in terms of championships.
“When I first started coaching, I defined success by wins, championships and the scoreboard,” she said. “After 40 years, I see it very differently now. Success is about the relationships built, the lives you touched and the young people you helped shape along the way.”
Leader beyond court
Newsome’s impact stretched far beyond basketball.
She served as Sheldon Clark’s athletic director from 1994 to 2013 while continuing to support student-athletes across multiple sports.
She later spent six years as an assistant coach before retiring from education and administration in 2017.
For many, it appeared her coaching career had come to an end.
Then tragedy struck.
Following the death of coach Tim Rice in 2019, the newly formed Martin County High School girls basketball program needed leadership.
Newsome answered the call.
Returning to the sideline, she helped guide the young program through its formative years.
During her tenure at Martin County, she added three more district championships and continued building on a legacy that already ranked among the state’s best.
In March 2023, Newsome captured her 15th district championship as a head coach.
Later that year, she was inducted into the Martin County All-Sports Hall of Fame and Museum.
Her coaching résumé continued to grow.
In January 2025, Newsome won the 15th Region All “A” championship.
This season, she surpassed every girls basketball coach in 15th Region history in career victories and finished her career with 562 wins, ranking 10th all-time in Kentucky.
Hall of Fame legacy
The list of honors Newsome has accumulated is staggering.
The basketball world has repeatedly recognized Newsome’s contributions to the sport. Over the years, she has been inducted into the Sheldon Clark High School Hall of Fame, Morehead State University Hall of Fame, Dawahares KHSAA Hall of Fame, Kentucky Basketball Hall of Fame, Kentucky All-Stars Hall of Fame and the Martin County All-Sports Hall of Fame. She has also been honored by the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches through its prestigious Court of Honor, further cementing her place among the most accomplished players and coaches in Kentucky basketball history.
The honors recognize a lifetime dedicated to basketball.
“People see the wins, championships and years of success, but they don’t see the countless hours, sacrifices, pressure and commitment it took to remain competitive for 40 years. They don’t see the late nights, the offseason work, the difficult decisions or the responsibility of leading young people year after year.”
But Newsome insists the people mattered more than the plaques.
“The wins and trophies were special, but what means the most to me now are the former players who became great mothers, teachers, nurses, coaches and leaders in their communities,” she said.
Respected by peers
While Newsome’s accomplishments fill record books and hall of fame plaques, fellow coaches say the numbers alone cannot fully measure her impact on basketball in Martin County.
Martin County boys basketball coach Jason “JJ” James said Newsome is an inspiration.
“Robin as a player and a coach has inspired generations of girl basketball players,” James said. “She has coached some incredible teams and players. She turned Sheldon Clark and Martin County into one of the top girls basketball programs in the state.”
James believes Newsome’s place in local sports history is secure.
“I think her legacy will be that she will go down as the best player and best coach in Martin County history,” he said. “Her records will never be touched.”
According to James, Newsome’s relentless competitiveness and preparation separated her from other coaches.
“I think her will to win stands out,” James said. “She was so competitive that I think she made a point to outwork everyone. Her teams were always the most prepared. They may not have won every time, but they were the most prepared team on the court.”
James said one of Newsome’s greatest strengths was her commitment to developing players long before they reached high school.
“She teaches and coaches, or her staff coaches, kids from the elementary level all the way up,” James said. “She has been so hands-on with them from the time they start playing in elementary school until they get to high school. This is why you really never saw a bad Lady Cards team. They may not always be district or region champs, but they consistently were in the top three to five teams in the region.”
James also credited Newsome with helping shape his own coaching career.
“She has been a tremendous help to me. I can’t thank her enough,” he said. “She hired me, and she stuck with me when we had the bad years. She always has great advice and is someone to listen to when issues come up. I’m forever grateful and really glad to call her a friend.”
More than basketball
Some of Newsome’s favorite memories have nothing to do with championships.
She remembers team trips to Disney and other destinations where players experienced things many had never seen before.
She remembers bus rides, locker-room conversations and friendships that lasted long after graduation.
She remembers coaching her daughters and later coaching alongside her daughter, Boo.
“Having the opportunity to coach both of my daughters and watch them grow through the program was a blessing that few coaches get to experience,” Newsome said.
She also remembers the difficult moments.
Over four decades, she watched former players, family members, friends and supporters pass away.
Those losses helped shape her perspective.
“Basketball is important, but it’s not the most important thing,” she said. “I learned that the true value of coaching isn’t found in wins and losses. It’s the people.”
Legacy Newsome leaves behind
When asked what she hopes people remember most about her program, Newsome didn’t mention championships.
Instead, she spoke about relationships.
“More than the wins, championships or records, I hope people remember that our program was built on prayer, hard work, commitment and doing things the right way,” she said.
“My younger self would know that the success didn’t happen by accident. It was built through dedication, perseverance and a passion for the game and the love of competing, unlike most others,” she added.
She hopes her former players reflect on moments outside the hardwood.
“If former players look back and feel that they were cared for, challenged and prepared for life beyond basketball, then I consider that the greatest success of all.”
She added, “Having former players come back years later and tell me something that they learned from basketball helped them in life means more than any trophy.”
For a woman who spent nearly five decades helping shape Kentucky girls basketball, perhaps that is the most fitting definition of success.
“I hope people remember that our program was about more than basketball. It was about helping young women grow into confident, responsible and successful adults.”
The records will stand. The banners will hang. The hall of fame plaques will remain.
But after 48 years in the game, Robin Newsome believes her greatest accomplishment cannot be measured in points, wins or championships.
“Most of all, I hope people remember that our program was built on relationships. Over the past 40 years, we have become a family. The wins and trophies will eventually fade, but the impact we had on each others lives and the memories we created together will last forever.”