By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

GULFPORT — A little over a year ago, a change atop the leadership of the Gulfport boys basketball program helped turn around the fortunes of the Admirals and resulted in a Region 4-7A championship.

Late last week, Gulfport second-year mentor Brian Butler added an experienced and successful former head hoops coach in the “Southern Six” to his staff to aid in the future endeavors of the program.

Former Bay High head coach Kelton Thompson was approved as an assistant coach for the Admirals moving forward into next season.

““I’m very excited for the opportunity to be at Gulfport High School and in the Gulfport School District,” Thompson said, on Friday. “I appreciate Coach Butler, Coach (Athletics Director Matt) Walters, Dr. (Principal Rachel) Gibson and Mr. (Superintendent) Glenn East for the opportunity. Gulfport Basketball has always been at the pinnacle of our sport in the state. It’s a honor to be part of this program”

Thompson comes to GHS from Bay High where he served as both the boys and girls head coach for the past several seasons before stepping down a couple of months ago.

Thompson left after leading both teams into the Class 4A South State playoffs for each of the past three seasons, as well as the past five seasons for the Lady Tigers.

Thompson was in his second tenure at the helm of the Tigers. He led Bay High to the Class 4A state championship in 2010. That still marks the one and only ever state basketball title for the boy’s program in the history of that program.

He returned to the Tigerdome to take over the Lady Tigers in 2020, and then added back the Tigers coaching responsibilities to his duties three years ago for the first time since leading them to that historic milestone a little over a decade before.

After several stops as a head coach in South Mississippi the prior 12 years, Butler made an immediate impact on the bench for the Admirals last season guiding Gulfport to a sparkling 28-3 overall mark and the region title as well as homecourt advantage in the opening round of the Class 7A South State playoffs.

Gulfport began the season 16-0. That came on the heels of one of the worst seasons in GHS history on the hardwood the year before under Steve Hesser, who posted a paltry 9-21 campaign in his only season on the scene.

Butler played his prep ball at St. Stanislaus under current Southern Miss head coach Jay Ladner. Thompson was an assistant on the Rocks staff then also.

“Coach Butler and I have a long standing relationship that dates back to his playing days and my first coaching job as an assistant under Jay Ladner at St. Stanislaus,” Thompson added. “Coach Butler and his staff have the program headed in the right direction and I’m glad to be a part of it and bring any value I can to the program and the school district.”