Samford Hall of Fame Members
Biography
Jimmy Tillette was the head men’s basketball coach at Samford from 1997 to 2012. He led the program to back-to-back Trans America Athletic Conference (TAAC) Tournament titles and NCAA Tournament bids in 1999 and 2000. In his years in charge of the Samford program, Tillette won a school-record 229 games. His 1998-99 team won a school-record 24 games, going 24-6, winning the TAAC regular season and TAAC Tournament titles and earning the program’s first NCAA Tournament bid. For his efforts, Tillette was named the 1999 TAAC Coach of the Year. The following season, the team went 21-11, winning the TAAC Tournament and reaching the NCAA Tournament for a second-straight year. The 1999-2000 team also claimed impressive wins over Alabama and St. John’s. Tillette’s 2005-06 team posted a record of 20-11, reaching the finals of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.
