One Chair Over, A Giant Step for King

by Robin Fambrough // GeauxPreps.com Contributor

Moving over one seat on the bench amounts to a huge step for Kirk King, the new boys’ basketball coach at his alma mater, Southern Lab.

“I never thought I’d be a coach,” King said. “I didn’t think it was something I could do. Then I got the chance to coach AAU basketball and to be an assistant at Southern Lab about six or seven years ago. 

“Once I got started, I learned so much and fell in love with it. Getting the chance to coach here, at Southern Lab, it’s perfect. Being head coach where I played … this is special. Moving over one chair means a lot.”

The thought of a muscular 6-foot-9 post player being unsure about a coaching career might sound odd. But it was daunting for King, who helped jump-start a legendary era by leading the Kittens to a Class 1A title in 1993.

SLHS went on to win 11 LHSAA titles in a 13-year period under Hall of  Fame coach Joel Hawkins. King and the Kittens out-dueled favorite Grambling and future NBA player Jerald Honeycutt in the semifinals in 1993.

The 51-year-old King moved on to play four years at UConn, a program that was rapidly becoming a Big East power.  Next came eight professional seasons internationally. He also played in the CBA and the NBA G League.

When an injury ended his pro career, King returned home and got a job at Exxon-Mobil and started a lawn service. He did not give coaching much thought until another Class of 1993 standout, former Newman and LSU standout, ex-Newman coach Randy Livingston, asked him to coach in his AAU program. 
Another former LSU player, Harold Boudreaux, hired King as an assistant that same year. Boudreaux’s decision to leave SLHS for the  Port Allen boys basketball job a few months ago provided the opening for King. The Kittens finished 16-13 and were the Division IV select runners-up last spring.

“I learned so much from Randy and from coach Boudreaux over the past few years,” King said. “I think we surprised a lot of people the past few years.

“But if you get the players to believe in what you’re doing … and more importantly to believe in themselves … you really have something. I want to build on that and bring what I have to the mix based on my personality and experiences.”

For Southern Lab director Herman Brister Jr., hiring King as the school’s boys basketball coach fits with the school’s philosophy. All but two of the Kittens’ head coaches are Southern Lab graduates.

“First of all, coach King is a phenomenal person,” Brister said. 
“Before he started coaching here, he was involved with the school as one of our graduates. 

“He understands the culture here and knows the traditions. All of that is important for anyone who coaches here. He has the knowledge and experience you want.”