Former Spanish Fort basketball coach Tolbert named Gulf Shores’ next head man

Entering 17th year as a head coach, Tolbert brings 261 career wins to Dolphin program in Class 5A

BY COLE McNANNA
Sports Editor
cole@gulfcoastmedia.com
Posted 3/28/23

Gulf Shores High School has its new boys’ basketball coach in Jimbo Tolbert, who brings over 20 years of high school and college coaching experience as well as 261 career wins to the Dolphins, …

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Former Spanish Fort basketball coach Tolbert named Gulf Shores’ next head man

Entering 17th year as a head coach, Tolbert brings 261 career wins to Dolphin program in Class 5A

Posted

Gulf Shores High School has its new boys’ basketball coach in Jimbo Tolbert, who brings over 20 years of high school and college coaching experience as well as 261 career wins to the Dolphins, the school announced Friday.

Tolbert was most recently the head coach of the Spanish Fort Toros where he collected a 102-52 overall record in five years. Spanish Fort made two trips to the Elite Eight which sandwiched a Red Map trophy from the 2020-2021 season as Class 6A state runners-up.

In 2018, Tolbert took over the Toros’ program after Dru Powell coached at Spanish Fort for seven years. The Toros were Powell’s second team he coached after he was head man in Gulf Shores for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons. Powell is also changing schools heading into the next basketball season, going from Thompson to Saraland.

Tolbert now takes over the Gulf Shores program after Todd Kimble coached the Dolphins to the No. 2 seed in the Class 5A Area 1 postseason tournament this winter. Gulf Shores’ lone regular-season area championship came in Powell’s first year at the helm in 2010.

Tolbert played basketball at Montgomery Catholic and Lander University and also served as a manager for the Auburn Tigers from 1998-2001 where the final three years were under head coach Cliff Ellis. Tolbert was added to the Auburn roster during the 2000 NCAA Tournament and saw action in an opening-round game.

After he graduated in 2003, Tolbert served as an assistant coach at John Carroll Catholic for two years and was part of a state title in his first season.

He then took over at his alma mater at Montgomery Catholic for two years before he joined Ellis’ staff at Coastal Carolina University as Director of Basketball Operations. After three years in the college ranks, Tolbert spent four-year stints as head basketball coach at both UMS-Wright Prep (2010-14) and Jackson (2014-18) before taking over the Spanish Fort Toros.

While he accepted the position at Gulf Shores, Tolbert will remain the head golf coach at Spanish Fort High School with the spring season underway.