Kimble added to Academy of Art coaching staff

Academy of Art University men's basketball head coach Julius Barnes has announced the signing of Will Kimble as assistant coach for the program.

"I am very excited to have Kimble as a member of my staff," said Barnes. "He has played the game at a high level and brings a great deal of knowledge and experience to the table. "

Kimble is the team's second assistant, joining Jeremiah Barnes who is entering his fifth year with ART U.

In college, Kimble was a post player for Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif. There, he helped his team earn an NCAA tournament berth in 2002 and become champions of the West Coast Conference in 2004. Kimble graduated later that year with a degree in advertising and was awarded the inaugural Will Kimble Award which is given to the student-athlete that best represents the values of the university. Kimble then finished his eligibility with two years of playing at University of Texas at El Paso while receiving his master's degree in education.

His coaching career began as the head varsity coach at Bethel Temple High School in El Paso, Texas where he led the team to the Texas Christian Athletic League Finals during his only season with the school. The following year, Kimble became the assistant coach at Citrus Community College in Glendora, Calif. and helped lead the team to a 35-1 record and their first-ever junior college state championship.

After his stint with the Owls, Kimble returned to Pepperdine to become the men's basketball assistant coach for two seasons before being named the associate head coach at Cathedral High School in Los Angeles. During his five years with the Phantoms, he helped build the program into a top-20 ranked team and also served as the ninth-grade psychology and computer applications teacher during the 2015-16 school year. While at CHS, Kimble concurrently worked as the associate head coach at the Middlebrooks Academy post-graduate program from its inception in 2012 through the spring of 2016.

"I really appreciate the opportunity coach Barnes and our Athletics Director Ben Jay have given me," said Kimble. "I am extremely excited to contribute to the culture here and represent the program in a manner that reflects the high standards at Academy of Art. We have an incredible opportunity to build something special here, and I am grateful to be part of it."