Gary Kimbrell

“All I ever wanted to do was be a football coach. My 7th grade teacher made such an impression on me that I wanted to motivate kids in the same way.” – Gary Kimbrell

Gary was an all-league, 2nd team running back at Hawthorne High School in 1957 and played the following season at El Camino Junior College. He was encouraged to walk-on at Pepperdine and after finding himself low on the running backs depth chart, jumped in on defense at practice. After a huge hit on the first-string running back, the coach said, “Kimbrell, you just earned yourself a scholarship”!

As a newlywed with an infant daughter, that was great news that allowed him to play three years and earn his Bachelor’s degree in 1961. His wife, Karen, was his biggest cheerleader and supported his career for over 40 years before her sudden passing in 2006.

Gary got his foot in the door with his first real coaching job as an assistant to Dwayne Lyons at Rolling Hills High School. Coach Lyons was a big influence on Gary’s football philosophy. With an emphasis on beating your opponent at the line of scrimmage, Gary brought his hard-nosed running attack to the teams he coached. After all, when you throw the ball, three things can happen and two of them are bad!

His first head coaching opportunity came just two weeks before the 1977 season when Miraleste High School had a sudden opening. He jumped at the chance and along with his longtime assistant coaches, Jim Small and Jim Duggan, he turned Miraleste into a tough team that opponents didn’t want to face.

After several successful seasons, including a Coach-of-the-Year award and an unsuccessful outcome in one CIF Championship game, Gary went back to Rolling Hills, but this time as a head coach. A few years later, when Miraleste, Palos Verdes HS, and Rolling Hills merged, Gary was chosen from the three football coaches to lead the new Peninsula High School Panthers. He was the perfect choice to lead in a difficult situation. After several very successful seasons, he celebrated a CIF Championship in 1997.