Tim Whipple, the second-winningest basketball coach in South Carolina’s history, is retiring.

Whipple leaves the bench after 43 years on the job and ends his career with 848 wins and six state titles. He finished 95 wins short of John Smith’s 943, but it was never his intention to reach that number.

The coach’s career began and ended in Lexington County. He earned his first job as an assistant at Lexington High School. He then left Lexington to be the JV coach at Winnsboro High School before leaving for Irmo. There, he served two seasons as an assistant before transitioning to the head coaching role in the 1981-82 season.

Whipple’s success at Irmo spanned across multiple decades, building the program into a yearly contender. The Yellow Jackets made the playoffs in all but three of his years as the head coach. He won his first state title in 1991 and then proceeded to win two more in the ‘90s.

The program and Whipple stayed together during some struggles in the 2000s but eventually found their way back to the top, winning titles in the 2010s and 2020s.

The Yellow Jackets won their first title in 16 years after capturing the 2011 championship. Two years later, Whipple and Irmo got their fifth title.

The 2023 championship came a decade after No. 5 and was one of the most improbable runs Whipple had been a part of. The team advanced to the state championship behind stellar play from class 4A Player of the Year Brandon Crawford, who fought through injuries in the first half of the season.

“This might be the most special group I’ve ever had,” Whipple said after winning the 2023 title. “I’d never dream we’d make it to a state championship.”

Irmo’s past season was not as smooth as the 2023 championship one, but Whipple knew that before the games began, calling this season one of the biggest challenges he would have to face as a coach.

“It’s going to be difficult, but I think it’s going to end up being very gratifying to watch this group this year,” Whipple told the Chronicle in December.

Irmo had its fair share of highs and lows in 2024, finishing 5-21 and 2-8 in region play for fifth place. The Yellow Jackets did just enough to qualify for the playoffs but fell short of defending their title in the first round with a 53-42 loss to Wilson.

That game was Whipple’s last. He told his team of his decision early on the morning of May 7.

Irmo will now begin the process of finding a replacement for a legend to rebuild the program back into a local powerhouse.