Hall of Fame head coach Tim Whipple set the standard at Irmo incredibly high before his retirement.

For decades, he had Irmo playing as one of the top programs in the state. But if anyone can replicate that success, it’s the man who sat by his side as a player and a coach, Alex Quillen. 

“ I think any coach that gets put in this situation would be lying to you if they said there wasn't pressure,” he said. “ It's an enjoyable pressure because you don't want to be somewhere where they don't expect you to do anything. I think it pushes me a little harder.”

Quillen has won state championships playing and coaching at Irmo. During Whipple’s final years, he was being groomed into the next man up. He got his chance to take over last season and led the team to a respectable (16-10) record.

Now entering year two, Quillen and the Yellow Jackets are shooting even higher, looking to continue their progress towards becoming a powerhouse again. 

“ Last year, it was one of those things. I was in a situation where we had really, really young guys. So, while I was learning, they were also learning. It was their first experience. It was my first experience,” Quilen said. “ We've kind of realized that we've had to change a couple things this year, and we just try to stay in the gym as much as possible.”

The Yellow Jackets are bringing back a lot of their contributors from last season. The group was young and inexperienced in 2024-25. This year they won’t be. 

Quillen is hoping that previous experience translates to a more mature team on the court. He is ready to turn things up a notch and loosen his grip on the leash. 

“We’re going to build this year and build next year,” Quillen said. “ This year, I think they're a lot more comfortable. We've been working on skill stuff a lot this offseason to try to be able to make some more shots. I think that the guys have a little more confidence this year offensively.”

While the team focused on improving its offensive game, Quillen said defense will still be Irmo’s bread and butter. 

The Yellow Jackets allowed the fewest points in the conference last season, a feat Quillen hangs his hat on. 

“ Our guys take pride in it, and they know that in order for us to be successful, we've got to really commit to defensive stops and getting after it on defense to make teams uncomfortable,” Quillen said.  ”We're only going to be as good as our defenses.”

Key players to watch on Irmo this year include Christian Brown, Antwoine Pierce and Tanner McCray. All three played varsity last year as sophomores and will be expected to make a leap this season. 

Quillen praised Brown for his scoring, Pierce for his defense and McCray for his abilities as the main point guard. Oshon Browman is one of the team’s main bigs, and Khiry White is a freshman who could become an instant contributor. 

“I’m excited about the group,” Quillen said. “We’re just ready to get rolling.”

Irmo will be looking to top an impressive 2024-25 campaign. The team finished third in region play and made it to the second round of the postseason despite its youth.

The team will have to play its first handful of games without its complete team, as it has a lot of football players on the roster as well. 

If everything can come together, Quillen believes the Yellow Jackets could be in a prime position to make a run for a region title. 

Regardless of how this season goes, Quillen knows it’s just the next step in what he hopes to be a long and successful career at Irmo.

“ Whipple built this program up, and I'm trying to continue that legacy with my own two cents,” he said. “Last year, we were a group that nobody was expecting anything. Nobody was thinking that we were going to be any good. ‘Whipple's gone. There's no way that Irmo’s going to be good.’ We ended up having a 16-win season. So, this year I think people are starting to notice again.”