Friends, former players, and colleagues learned the sad news Thursday morning that legendary Christian County High School basketball coach Lyle Dunbar had passed away earlier in the day from a long illness.
Dunbar coached at Christian County from 1975 through the 1994 season, amassing 386 wins, 12 district championships, six region titles, and his teams appeared in the Sweet 16 state championship game twice – in 1976 and 1979.
He was the fifth head basketball coach at Christian County and took over for Bob Hoggard in the 1975-76 season. Dunbar coached in what could be called the “Golden Era” of Christian County basketball as the program produced greats including Curtis Parker, Kenny Hart, Mike Reese, Charles Nance, and David Joiner, among others. Dunbar also coached Chris Whitney, who went on to play in the NBA.
Steve Akin, who coached with Dunbar for more than 20 years, recalled he had a kind personality that not many people knew about.
Akin recalled a story that many people remember that ties the two coaches together forever.
David Joiner, who played point guard for Dunbar from 1979-83, and later coached with him, recalled that Dunbar had a knack for preparing his teams to be ready at tournament time.
Anthony Babb, the current Hopkinsville High School head coach, played for Dunbar at Christian County in the mid-1980s. Babb said Dunbar was more than a coach. He shaped the man Babb would become.
Christian County Public Schools District Athletics Director Kerry Stovall coached Christian County basketball from 2001-2012. He said he met Dunbar as a young man and knew coming to Christian County he had the pressure of continuing the legacy he started.
Dunbar was inducted into the initial Christian County High School Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005 and was inducted into the Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023.
He finished his career with 628 career wins while coaching at West Hopkins, Fordsville, Scottsville, Maysville, and Christian County.
Funeral services had not been set as of Thursday afternoon.
Photos provided
UTube Photo