I am a Coach...

I am Coach Jason Mays, a dedicated basketball coach with almost three decades of experience at the high school, post-graduate, and college levels. My journey began at Georgetown College, where I graduated in 1999 after serving as a student manager, assistant, and coach, culminating in the 1998 NAIA National Championship. Choosing Georgetown over larger programs like LSU or Arizona allowed me to immerse myself in all aspects of coaching, from equipment management and recruiting to game preparation.

 

My early professional roles included assistant positions at Maine Central Institute (featuring future NBA players like Caron Butler), St. Catharine College, and Campbellsville University. Returning to Georgetown as an assistant, I spent seven seasons under Head Coach Happy Osborne, rising to Associate Head Coach and helping build the winningest small college program in America, breaking numerous NAIA records.

 

In 2007, after the birth of my son Jayse and realizing the need for better work-life balance, I stepped away from coaching to explore other ventures: running for State Representative, starting a non-profit, and working in finance, pharmaceuticals, and insurance. This break reignited my passion when I volunteered at Lexington Christian Academy in 2013.

 

I returned to college coaching at Valdosta State University in 2015, turning a 10-17 team into a 26-5 powerhouse and setting a school wins record. Later, at Kentucky Wesleyan College as Associate Head Coach (and interim head), I navigated challenges to finish 15-16—my only losing season before high school.

 

In 2018, I joined Ashland Blazer High School as Head Boys Basketball Coach, leading to four consecutive 16th Region Championships, a 33-0 season in 2019-20, a KHSAA Final Four appearance in 2020-21, and was named KY Coach of the Year, and a Finalist for the NFHS National Coach of the Year. Amid personal trials, including my wife Lori Beth's breast cancer battle in 2022 and a controversy leading to my departure, I chose grace and redirection over conflict.

 

For the last two seasons, I've served as Head Coach at Montgomery County High School, transforming an 11-18 team into 24-11 district and region champions, reaching the KHSAA Final Four. With a career marked by resilience, relationships, and development, I've learned that I hate to lose more than I love to win, and I will not apologize for it.

 

However, a "tug" toward new challenges has led me to channel my lifelong passion for peak performance into something bigger. In 2025, after reflecting on the mental toughness, mindset conditioning, and leadership lessons from decades on the court, I founded Cognitecture, LLC—a mental performance coaching business designed to elevate high-achievers beyond where they currently are. Drawing from my basketball roots, I now coach athletes to sharpen their mindset, help fellow coaches build championship cultures, guide financial advisors to increase their sales activity, and show real estate agents how to navigate competitive markets like it's the playoffs. My approach? It's all about "cognitecture"—mental architecture for how you think. At Cognitecture, we turn pressure into power, reframe setbacks to setups, and turning goals into accountability processes, all the while, working with confidence, composure, and class. Whether through one-on-one sessions, group coaching and training or advanced measures for those who truly want to be elite, I help clients unlock their full potential, just like I have done for teams on and off the floor for decades.

 

Feel free to connect at (859) 536-7295 or via the contact form. Let's build your winning playbook!