Jermaine Kimbrough - Men's Basketball Coach - Grand Canyon University Athletics

Phoenix, AZ June 13, 2024 : Jerry Colangelo watches GCU basketball takes part in summer workouts. David Kadlubowski/GCU

Photo by: David Kadlubowski

Jermaine Kimbrough

Title:
Assistant Coach
Years at GCU:
1st season
Email:
jermaine.kimbrough@gcu.edu
Alma Mater:
Virginia Tech (2000)

Road to GCU
YEAR	SCHOOL	POSITION
1996-97	Neosho County CC	Student-Athlete
1997-98	St. Catharine	Student-Athlete
1998-00	Virginia Tech	Student-Athlete
2001-03	Howard College	Asst. Coach
2003-04	Cleveland State	Dir. of Ops
2004-05	UMass	Dir. of Ops
2005-06	Purdue Fort Wayne	Asst. Coach
2006-15	Cleveland State	Asst. Coach
2015-16	Nevada	Asst. Coach
2016-19	Wyoming	Asst. Coach
2019-21	Loyola Chicago	Asst. Coach
2021-24	Arizona State	Assoc. HC
2024-pres	GCU	Asst. Coach

Jermaine Kimbrough is in his first season as an assistant coach on Grand Canyon's staff. He officially joined the program on April 12, 2024.

Kimbrough joined the Lopes after serving as associate head coach at Arizona State, where he assisted for three seasons. Kimbrough, a 23-year college coaching veteran, has an ideal blend of acumen for recruiting, defense, player development and player relations with a deep Christian faith that aligns with GCU and head coach Bryce Drew's program.

"So excited for Coach Kimbrough to be part of our staff," Drew said at the time of Kimbrough's hiring. "I have known him for years and have a huge amount of respect for him as a person and a coach."

Kimbrough was named one of the nation's 50 most impactful high-major assistants by Silver Waves Media in 2024.

Kimbrough became friends with the Drews when he was a nine-year assistant coach at Cleveland State, which was in the Horizon League with the Valparaiso program where Drew began coaching as an assistant to his father, Homer, before becoming head coach.

"I know Bryce and his background in serving as a man of God and a man of faith," Kimbrough said. "That was something that me and my family wanted to realign with."

Kimbrough has an inspiring life story, being homeless for a period of his childhood in Cleveland before being adopted by a community college professor and lifted by his basketball coach, teachers and a janitor at his high school.

Kimbrough played at Neosho County (Kansas) Community College. NAIA member St. Catharine's and Virginia Tech (1998-2000), where he graduated in Psychology.

He passed on professional opportunities to enter coaching and paid his dues working at Howard, a junior college in Texas, as an assistant coaching and residence housing director before working as a director of basketball operations, director of minority services and nighttime custodian in his first stint at Cleveland State.

Kimbrough progressed to UMass (2004-05), Purdue Fort Wayne (2005-06), Cleveland State (2006-15), Nevada (2015-16), Wyoming (2016-19), Loyola Chicago (2019-21) and Arizona State (2021-24). Under now-Oklahoma coach Porter Moser at Loyola Chicago, he was on the Ramblers staff for the 2021 Sweet 16 run.

"This is no different than the program I was a part of when I was at Loyola Chicago that went to a Sweet 16, Elite Eight and a Final Four," Kimbrough said. "I see the vision, the support and the resources. I see GCU as a program that can reach a Final Four in the future."

Kimbrough has developed a reputation as a tireless recruiter and a detailed, enthusiastic coach while emphasizing a lasting connection with players.

Kimbrough and his wife, Tameka, have four sons (Jace; Javon; Asa; Nyaires) and a daughter (Karis). Javon is a Cincinnati freshman engineering student while Asa just graduated from Montana Tech after an NAIA All-America basketball senior season. Nyaires played at Wyoming when Kimbrough was on the Cowboys staff.