South Gibson's girls basketball program is getting a major boost with the hire of John Wilkins, a coach who knows a thing or two about winning championships. Wilkins, who spent the last two seasons leading Brentwood High's girls team, is returning to West Tennessee to take over for Catie Embrey, as announced on the school's Facebook page.
Wilkins brings serious credentials to the Lady Hornets. Before his stint at Brentwood, he spent 15 seasons coaching McKenzie's boys program, with the final four of those years also overseeing the girls team. That double duty paid off in a big way: Wilkins led McKenzie to back-to-back TSSAA girls basketball state titles in 2022 and 2023, building a dynasty that put West Tennessee basketball on the map.
"My family and I are excited to join the SGC family and become part of a program that has established itself as a real contender in AAA basketball," Wilkins said in a news release. "There is a rich basketball tradition and strong culture here, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to invest in these student athletes, this program, and this community in the years ahead."
At Brentwood, Wilkins posted a 35-23 record and guided the Lady Bruins to the Region 5-4A semifinals in his first season. But his numbers at McKenzie are what really stand out—a dominant 102-18 record with the girls, earning him BCAT Coach of the Year honors in 2023. That kind of success is exactly what South Gibson needs to keep building on its momentum as a AAA contender.
Basketball runs deep in the Wilkins family—and we mean deep. John is one of four TSSAA state champions in his household. His father, Mitch, recently retired after 50 years in coaching, including 14 seasons with Gibson County girls, where he won titles in 2019 and 2024. His brother Mark, a former boys coach at South Gibson, led Independence to a state title in 2024 before stepping into an administrator role at Page. And his other brother, David, just won a state championship with Huntingdon girls this past March. Talk about a family that lives and breathes the game.
"We feel very fortunate to have coach Wilkins join our Hornet family," athletic director Mark Dunn said. "His track record speaks for itself in terms of his ability as a basketball coach. However, even more importantly, he is a great human being. John comes from an unbelievable family of basketball coaches... he will be a great fit here, and we are excited to welcome him."