Irmo picks familiar face to replace outgoing hall of fame basketball coach

Irmo High School is staying within its basketball family for its next boys coach.

Assistant Alex Quillen will be named as the Yellow Jackets’ new coach and replace hall of famer Tim Whipple, who retired in May after 43 years of coaching.

Whipple won 848 games, second most in state history behind former Great Falls coach John Smith’s 943. He also won six state championships at Irmo, with the last coming in 2023.

Quillen played under Whipple and graduated in 2013. He has been on the Irmo staff the last few years, including the Yellow Jackets’ state championship squad.

Quillen was a graduate assistant coach at Gardner-Webb before that.