Raymond Judd

Former coaching great to be inducted into Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame

Raymond Judd had great success as a tennis coach at Arkansas City Junior College as he led the Tiger men’s tennis team to six conference championships in his seven years (1950-56) as head coach. Judd, who is deceased, will be honored posthumously into the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame on Feb. 10, 2007.

Judd began his career as an educator in Arkansas City in 1936 and coached a pair of high school athletes -- Jack Mitchell and Gerald Nold -- in 1942 to a state doubles championship.

He coached three tennis programs -- ACJC, Arkansas City High School and the Arkansas City Middle School -- until 1956. In 1956, Judd became the junior high principal, a position he kept until 1972, when he retired.

While coaching at ACJC, Judd also coached the Arkansas City Middle School and Arkansas City High School tennis teams. He was also in charge of the summer recreation tennis program and in charge of the Pep Club and cheerleaders at Arkansas City High School. He was also thought highly of as a history instructor.

He helped lead the ACJC men’s tennis team to a national runner-up finish in 1953. J.C. Louderback was one of Judd’s most successful tennis players at ACJC as he teamed with Frank Scarth to win state doubles titles in 1953 and 1954.
Louderback went on to become a legendary fixture in the Arkansas City tennis community both as a player and as a coach. He actually took over as head coach of the Tiger tennis team two years after Judd retired from coaching the squad.

“Coach Judd was a good fundamentalist, you had to stroke the ball properly if you were going to make his team,” Louderback said.
Louderback applied what he learned from Judd and used it in helping him achieve the success he had in coaching tennis.

“I picked up the idea of starting kids in tennis at a young age from coach Judd,” Louderback said. “He was very good at working with kids.”
The Arkansas City Middle School tennis courts were named after Judd in April 2006.

Louderback, who was inducted into the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000, is happy to see Judd join him in the exclusive club.

“He is definitely deserving of the honor,” Louderback said. “He devoted a lot of time to the college and to the younger kids he coached.