Humboldt community celebrates life of basketball coach Thomas Boykin

HUMBOLDT, Tenn. — Candles were lit and Viking colors proudly worn in memory of a coach, a brother, and a friend.

“Coach B’ was someone special to me, not only just a coach, he was a father figure on and off the court,” said Troy Agnew, event organizer and former player.

A candlelight vigil was held Monday for Coach Thomas Boykin, who passed away Saturday from health-related issues. Boykin was the head basketball coach at Humboldt High School for 17 years, taking his team to the championship in 2013 and retiring the next season.

“So if you want to be successful, you got to put in the time, and I think I put in the time of several years, and now I just want to do something different,” said Coach Thomas Boykin in an interview with WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News back in March 2014.

“He had a team that every player on the team could slam dunk, from the smallest to the biggest, because he had a workout program that was a tough workout program,” said Dorrington Reid, friend and former head football coach.

Former players also say he was just as tough of a coach.

“It depends who you ask, but most of them will tell you that I drive them. I drive. I want the best out of you,” Coach Thomas said back in 2014.

“At one point in time I wanted to quit because I felt like he was on me too hard, but it wasn’t that he was on me too hard, he cared about me,” said Agnew.

Many say he was more than that.

“Coach B’s a person you can’t forget; his smile, the way he talked; he is just funny. He would always come up with a joke or happy,” Agnew said.

People who knew ‘Coach B’, as many called him, say his legacy will live on within his community.

“I’ll miss him. I’ll never forget him. He taught me a lot, and like I said, he’ll be in my mind and in my heart forever,” Dorrington said.

Members of his family say as long as people remember what Coach Boykin taught, he will live on forever. Coach Thomas Boykin was 66 years old.