Kilgore returns as head coach of the Hawks
Sylvester Kilgore is back in very familiar territory.
“It almost feels like I never left,” said Kilgore, who is returning to the head basketball coaching job at Holly Springs High School after five seasons at South Panola. “The opportunity to come back home was so attractive. I'm very excited. I want to help these young people be successful.”
Kilgore actually never left, residency-wise. He commuted back and forth to Batesville.
“That drive was getting exhausting,” he said. “Sometimes I'd get home at 1 a.m. On a game night and then be back up at 5 a.m.”
Kilgore is back in a home gymnasium that has his name hanging on numerous banners with those of talented former players. He compiled a 122-61 record as head coach of the Class 3A Hawks during the 2012-2019 seasons. They were the district champions six straight years, from 2014-2019, and district tournament champs in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019. His Hawks made five straight trips to Jackson from 2015-2019, reaching the final four three times and finishing as state runners-up in both 2018 and 2019. He was named District Coach of the Year six consecutive seasons, from 2014-2019, with 64 district wins and only three district losses during that span.
Of course, he credits the “many outstanding athletes” with that success. Lots of those players advanced to the next level.
Kilgore said he learned a lot during his time at Class 6A South Panola, and his work at the highest high school level made him a better coach. The Tigers hosted an opening round playoff game this past season for the first time in more than 25 years.
There have been five different coaches in charge of the Hawks in the six years after Kilgore, who took a break from coaching in 2019-2020 before his stint at South Panola.
“I want to bring stability back to the Holly Springs program,” he said. “I want to reestablish the winning tradition, with high character players, and I want Holly Springs basketball to again be a source of excitement for our community.”
Coach Kilgore has already had tryouts, and summer workouts and games are underway.
“We have a good mix of freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors,” he said. “And we have a good mix of talent and experience. But it's going to take a lot of sacrifice and a lot of discipline to reach our goals. We must come together as a team. It takes camaraderie.”
Holly High will compete in Region 2-3A with familiar opponents Independence, Coahoma County and North Panola. The full schedule for 2025-2026 is almost complete, with 27 games already scheduled. The season-opener is Tuesday, Nov. 4, at Lake Cormorant.
Kilgore's phone has been blowing up with calls and texts from his hometown folks.
“It has been amazing,” he said. “I can't count all the messages. The community is hungry, and our goal is to win and do it the right way. We are in the school business first. A focus on academics will be a major part of what we are trying to accomplish.”
Coach Kilgore and his wife Shonta have a daughter, Kourtney Coleman, and a granddaughter, Makenzie. Coleman is the head junior high and junior varsity girls basketball coach at Independence High School, and she is also an assistant coach for the high school girls.