BRISTOL, Tenn. – King University director of athletics David Hicks announced the hire of
David Tolbert as the next bass fishing head coach. Tolbert becomes the second head coach in program history, replacing
Jason Moorman, who for the past four years has led the bass fishing program while also serving as the head coach of the nationally recognized women's wrestling program.
"I'm thankful for the hard work and strong foundation established by
Jason Moorman since we launched the program in 2019," Hicks said. "He quickly established King as a championship-caliber program, and a destination for anglers in the region. Having a coach singularly dedicated to our student-athletes is the next step in the evolution of building this program."
Tolbert was a member of the first bass fishing team in 2019-20 and has been fishing for more than 20 years. While a member of the Tornado bass fishing team, Tolbert helped Johnathan Carter run the East Tennessee First Responders Club.
"When being asked to be the head coach for the fishing team I thought it was a great opportunity to grow what I started a few years ago," Tolbert said. "I am invested in this school as an alumni along with being the one that started this sport here at King. I am looking forward to growing this program and putting King bass fishing on the map."
He continues to fish competitively as he and his dad won more than a dozen tournaments in 2021, the same year he and his dad won the Watson's Bass-O-Rama, pulling more than 19 pounds in both rounds. Following that they won the Morristown Marin Tournament on South Holston Lake, a tournament that featured more than 250 boats. Last year he finished 11th of 160 boats at the BFL event on South Holston Lake.
"David's knowledge of fishing is immense, both in his skillset and tactical understanding of the sport, and his familiarity with fishing community in East Tennessee," said Hicks. "He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge, as well as a love for King and a passion for continuing the process of building a championship program."
Tolbert graduated from King with a degree Business Administration with a focus in Accounting and Business Finance in 2021.
