Remembering Warrior coach Chris Tolliver at Southwestern

PULASKI COUNTY, Ky. (WYMT) - The Southwestern High School community is mourning the loss of an assistant boys’ basketball coach.

Chris Tolliver coached at Southwestern High School. Tolliver unexpectedly died on Monday.

“Coach Tolliver was a tremendous guy, tremendous for our program at Southwestern,” Southwestern varsity head football coach Jason Foley said. “I know Coach Dunbar, the head basketball coach, came in with him and really helped him to build their culture. We definitely send our sympathies to all the families, all the friends, all the people affected, and it’s a tough time to lose someone close in your coaching circle like that but definitely a great human being, and he impacted a lot of lives in a special way.”

Tolliver was a valued member of Coach Dunbar’s staff for the past two seasons. He also played on the Whitesburg varsity basketball team that advanced to the All-A state semifinals in 2002.

Tolliver was loved across Pulaski County, but no one more than the kids who he left a mark on.

“They just developed a close relationship with him, he was more than just a coach,” Foley said. “He was a mentor to them, a good role model. I know they thought a lot of him. Just seeing him around the school, he was well respected by all of his colleagues and everyone that came in contact with him.”

The Southwestern varsity boys basketball team plans to honor Tolliver this season by putting a shirt over the first chair on their bench in memory of him each game.

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