Jimmy Spurlin
James Kenneth "Jimmy" Spurlin Sr. (1935–2006) was a coach, banker and local official in Tifton, Georgia, who chaired the Tift County Commission and was honored by the Tift County (2016) and ABAC (class of 2022) athletic halls of fame.
Sourcing: strong 1 genealogy · 2 official · 5 news
James Kenneth "Jimmy" Spurlin Sr. (August 17, 1935 – September 28, 2006) was an American coach, banker and local politician from Tifton, Georgia.[1][2][3]
Early life and education
Spurlin was born in Tift County. He lettered in baseball, football and basketball at Tifton High School and pitched for two years at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC), which he attended from 1952 to 1954.[1][2][3] He then went to the University of Florida, where, according to his obituary, he earned a bachelor's degree in business administration.[1][3]
Career
His obituary says he taught and coached at Turner County High School, then worked for more than 20 years at Tifton Federal Savings and Loan before becoming a vice-president of Citizens Security Bank, from which he retired. It also records service in the National Guard Reserves.[1]
Athletics
At Turner County High School he was an assistant football coach and head baseball coach from 1960 to 1962. In 1975 he coached the first season of the Tiftarea Academy Panthers.[3] As a boys' youth softball coach from 1977 to 1985, he compiled a 250–40 record and won national championships in 1978, 1980, 1981 and 1984.[3] The Tifton Gazette says he coached softball at ABAC from 1989 to 1992, winning a national championship and finishing once as national runner-up.[3] ABAC describes him as a volunteer assistant coach of its women's softball team from 1988 to 1994.[2] His obituary credits his teams with five national softball championships in all.[1]
ABAC's hall of fame biography says he was named to the American Softball Association Hall of Fame in 1992. His obituary identifies the honor as the Georgia ASA Softball Hall of Fame.[2][1]
Public service
Spurlin served on the Tifton City Commission, including as vice chairman, and was chairman of the Tift County Commission from 1996 to 2000.[2][3][1] Sources differ on when his city commission service began: the Tifton Gazette gives 1975–1992, while ABAC and his obituary give 1976–1992.[3][2][1]
Family
Spurlin was married to Gwen Cottle, and the couple had four children.[3] Gwen Cottle Spurlin scored 700 points for the Tifton High Angels in 1954–55. She was inducted into the Tift County Athletic Hall of Fame (Class of 2020) at a January 2022 ceremony, a week before her death; one of her sons accepted for her.[4] Their son Johnny Spurlin was an assistant basketball coach at Tift County High School and was named its head boys' basketball coach in December 2005.[5] See Gwen Cottle Spurlin and Johnny Spurlin.
Death and honors
Spurlin died at Tift Regional Medical Center on September 28, 2006, at age 71, and was buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery. His obituary notes that a youth baseball field, Jimmy Spurlin Park, had been named in his honor.[1]
The Tift County Athletic Hall of Fame named him its Meritorious Service honoree in 2016.[3] At the October 2016 ceremony Johnny accepted the award and said that "the word 'coach' meant something special to him."[6]
ABAC first announced his selection for its Athletic Hall of Fame in March 2020, as a contributor and volunteer assistant softball coach in its 2020 class. The induction dinner was then planned for April 3, 2020, in the college's Gressette Gym.[7] ABAC's hall-of-fame website lists his induction class as 2022.[2] In April 2026 the same hall of fame inducted Cindy Shore Spurlin, a 1992 NJCAA All-American who played ABAC softball during the years he helped coach the team.[8][2]
See also
- Notable Spurlins · People strong
An index of notable people surnamed Spurlin, with related Spurling-surname figures listed separately as variants. - Jimmy Spurlin Park (Tifton, Georgia) · Places mixed
Jimmy Spurlin Park is a youth baseball field in Tifton, Georgia, named for James Kenneth "Jimmy" Spurlin Sr. (1935–2006), a Tifton city commissioner, Tift County Commission chairman and longtime youth coach. Tift County lists a Spurlin field in its D. L. Lastinger Recreation Area, and tournament organizers list it as Spurlin Field. - Gwen Cottle Spurlin · People strong
Gwendolyn "Gwen" Cottle Spurlin (1937–2022) was a Tifton High School basketball star. She scored 700 points in the 1954–55 season and was inducted into the Tift County Athletic Hall of Fame a week before her death. - Johnny Spurlin · People strong
Johnny Spurlin is a Tifton, Georgia, lawyer and longtime basketball coach at Tift County High School. He was named head boys' coach in 2005, took the Blue Devils to the 2007 state Final Four, and later returned as an assistant to Tommy Blackshear. - Spurlins in sports · Culture strong
An overview of people surnamed Spurlin in sports: college and minor league baseball, college football, wrestling, softball and basketball coaching, with links to each article and a note of the professional leagues and databases searched. - Cindy Shore Spurlin · People strong
Cindy Shore Spurlin is a former Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) softball player. She was a 1992 NJCAA All-American, set several school single-season records and entered the ABAC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2026. - Spurlins in athletic halls of fame · Culture strong
A roundup of people surnamed Spurlin who have been inducted into college, county and high school athletic halls of fame, with notes on the state coaching halls and Olympic records that list no Spurlin. - Spurlins in baseball records · Culture strong
A roundup of the eleven baseball players surnamed Spurlin in Baseball-Reference's register of minor league, independent and college players, from two 1935 minor league first basemen to recent NCAA players. None reached the major leagues. - Spurlins in public service · People strong
A roundup of people surnamed Spurlin (and, separately, Spurling) in government, politics, the military and the courts, from a 19th-century Indiana sheriff to a Kentucky utility commissioner and recent local candidates, with links to the individual articles.
References
- ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ James Kenneth "Jimmy" Spurlin, Sr. — Obituary, Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals (CurrentObituary.com) — Funeral home obituary, 2006 Genealogy
- ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ Jimmy Spurlin (2022) - Hall of Fame — Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College — College athletics hall of fame biography; induction class 2022; volunteer assistant softball coach 1988–94 Official
- ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ Local athletes to be honored Saturday at Hall of Fame ceremony — Tifton Gazette (Oct. 21, 2016) News
- ↑ Tift Athletic Hall of Fame inducts Class of 2020 in ceremony — Tifton Gazette News
- ↑ New basketball coach named — Tifton Gazette (Dec. 7, 2005) News
- ↑ 3rd class honored at Hall of Fame ceremony — Tifton Gazette (Oct. 26, 2016) News
- ↑ Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College announces hall of fame inductees — Albany Herald (Mar. 10, 2020) — Announcement of the 2020 class, including Jimmy Spurlin News
- ↑ Four inducted as ABAC Athletic Hall of Fame makes triumphant return — Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (Apr. 16, 2026) — Cindy Shore Spurlin's 1992 All-American season and 2026 induction Official
Last reviewed 2026-09-24.