The life of John Kimbrell

John was my college teammate and friend who Thursday morning passed away at the young age of 46. For those that came in contact with John you did not forget him. He was definitely a one of a kind as a person and a player. (You can read more about his playing career statistics on the Lipscomb University website click here)




I was privileged to play four years of college basketball with John. When he started his playing career it would have been difficult for anyone to predict that John would become a two time NAIA All American and the MVP of the NAIA National Championship Tournament.



Everything did not come easy for John. He didn't have the strength or basketball skills when first arriving at David Lipscomb College (now Lipscomb University) in the fall of 1982 to be an impact player. By the time he left he had become a force. I was able to witness one of the most amazing improvements of any player I have been around. He did it by sheer will power and hard work. Anyone that was around the Lipscomb program during that time period will tell you stories of how hard John would work on his game in the off-season. Each year he steadily improved. By the time his junior year came around he started to gain confidence and it all started to come together.



More impressive is that John was the consummate teammate. He thought about the team first and then about himself. He knew as he his game improved he still had to work harder than anyone else and he didn’t lose that edge. Coaches will tell you that when your best player works the hardest you have the chance to have a very good team. With John being our best player and our hardest worker we were able to win the NAIA National Championship in 1986.



Each year as a coach I try to get my players to think team first. It is an extremely difficult concept to instill into players and to get a group of individuals to care about each other. With John that was simple. He had no ego. That is why it was so easy for him to be around. John just wanted to compete and have fun. Playing on a National Championship team was a thrill for us as players. Playing with John was exciting because there were times during that championship season where he literally carried us on his back and led us to victories. As you see teams on television or in person you can watch how one star player can sometimes carry a team. That was how it was with John that one special season.



When I first learned that John was in critical condition in a hospital in North Carolina I started to think about John’s life. It made me think of what a privilege it is to be around certain people that are good in their craft and we take it for granted. I have been in the coaching profession for 20 years and to find someone that could be an All American for two years is not easy. On top of that someone that could lead their team all the way to a National Championship is even more difficult. Only one team gets to cut down the nets at the end of a season. It is an amazing accomplishment athletically what John was able to do on the court.

What has impressed me even more over the course of time is the humility that he had. I don’t ever remember it ever being about himself. Not a chest thumper. Not a “showboat” guy. He was just down to earth from Loretto, Tennessee. If you ever read anything about Coach “Bear” Bryant you would understand that Coach Bryant would have said about John, “his momma and daddy raised him right.” John got it. He understood what it meant to be part of a team. He was old-school in the sense that he enjoyed playing and competing just for the sense of being out there to play and compete. He didn’t need anything else. Not the gear or the bright lights. Just the purity of the game was what John was about. John is what we are missing in sports today. He is what every coach wants on their team and wants out of every player. If a coach gets it out of his or her best player then you have a chance to have a special team.

The Lipscomb family lost a special member this week. For those of us that got to play on the court with John we lost a special teammate and friend. Anyone that came in contact with John lost someone they would not forget. The Kimbrell’s lost a son and brother. We all lost someone special.

Thank you John for blessing us with your special life. We thank you for all the great memories. They are not sure if John had a seizure or heart attack when. Whatever the case he was in a coma for over a week before he passed away. Following his status with updates from family and friends every day made me think about his life. Over that period of time John you taught some things. You taught me why I like to coach and you taught why I like to have a chance to develop young men to grow up and become men. You also taught me to forget about myself and think about others. You also taught me to enjoy the simple things in life. You will be missed, but not forgotten.