Miami’s interim head coach, Bill Courtney, will not be present for Saturday’s game against Louisville due to illness, as confirmed by the Hurricanes’ official basketball X account. Assistant coach Kotie Kimble will step up to assume the role of acting head coach for the game.
Kimble has been part of Miami’s coaching staff since April 2022. His coaching journey began as a student assistant at Coastal Carolina in 2007. He later became an assistant coach at North Carolina-Asheville before spending five seasons at William and Mary. Kimble also worked at Charlotte for four years, where he earned recognition as a top recruiter, notably helping the 49ers secure two-time first-team All-Conference USA player Jahmir Young, who eventually transferred to Maryland.
At Miami, Kimble played a crucial role in recruiting freshman guard Austin Swartz, a native of Concord, North Carolina, who is currently averaging 5.6 points per game. He also helped recruit Jahil Bethea and Divine Ugochukwu, contributing to the seventh-best recruiting class in 2024. Additionally, Kimble has strong ties to North Carolina, with another key player, forward Brandon Johnson, from Raleigh.
With head coach Courtney absent due to illness, Kimble will have the responsibility of leading Miami against a strong Louisville team, currently 17-6 and 10-2 in the ACC. Despite the challenge, Kimble’s growing reputation as a rising coaching talent suggests he may be poised for a head coaching position in the future.
