JUDA — After two seasons at the helm, Willie Nelson has stepped down as coach of the Juda girls basketball team.

“It was a hard decision,” Nelson said. “I just love coaching so much, but being a head coach takes so much time. It’s really a 24/7 job, you never really get a break.”

He said he wants to spend more time at home with his family and wife.

Nelson took over coaching the Panthers in 2018 and went just 5-37 in two seasons, including a 2-21 mark in the Six Rivers East.

“The conference is really tough. Black Hawk is obviously going to whoop us around, and Argyle and Albany are young and getting better,” Nelson said. 

Black Hawk is the defending state champion in Division 5, having lost just two games in the past four seasons, and this past year won by an average of 43 points. Albany and Argyle have made headway into the top half of the conference standings the past couple years, and Nelson said the one of his team’s best games this past season actually came in a loss to Argyle Feb. 21 in the regular season finale.

“Argyle blew us out in the first game (67-39), but in that second game it was close and you could see the frustration on their faces,” Nelson said. His team lost that night by just 14 after Argyle pulled away in the second half. “The girls executed our game plan. In the end, Argyle just had the better talent and put a few more points up on the board.”

Nelson, who works full time as an electrician, is a Black Hawk graduate and was an assistant on the boys side at his alma mater for a couple of seasons. 

“It’s a big difference going to girls,” he said. 

He said his love for coaching could have him seeking a position in the future, but for now, he’s just going to settle back in at home.

“I enjoyed it. It’s just a lot of time, holy cats,” he said.