‘I think God placed me here for a reason.’ Ex-Cat finding his way at Campbellsville.
When his mentor called for an assist, Anthony Epps had no choice but to deliver.
The former University of Kentucky star had just resigned as head coach of the Marion County girls’ basketball team to take a full-time job as special education instructor at Campbellsville High School, where Tim Davis coached boys’ hoops.
Davis, who coached Epps at Marion County in the early 1990s, asked him to join his staff as an assistant.
“I couldn’t say no because he was my mentor. He was my coach,” Epps said. “He was like a father figure to me growing up in high school. So it was a no-brainer.”
That decision opened a path that led Epps to the current phase of his career. After a season on Davis’ staff, Epps became head coach of the Campbellsville girls’ team. Over three years, he went 40-48 and led the Eagles to their first 5th Region Tournament appearance since 2002. After last season, he succeeded Davis as head coach of the boys’ team.
Epps spoke with the Herald-Leader last month at the All “A” Classic state tournament at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, where the Eagles lost to St. Henry. They’ve had an up-and-down season so far and are currently 9-11, but they have won five of their last seven games.
“I’ve really enjoyed it. I knew it was going to be a challenge going in,” Epps said of his first campaign leading a boys’ team. “I’m a new coach, they’re getting used to me, I’m getting used to them. We’ve shown flashes of being a good team, then we’ve shown flashes of being lost and don’t know what we’re doing. That’s part of the ride as a coach, you’ve got to take the bad with the good … We’re just going to keep working hard. Eventually I know this thing’s gonna be good in the long run.”
Epps said a switch to the boys’ game has presented a new challenge.
“The biggest difference is the girls tend to listen to everything that you say and want to get better. A lot of guys tend to think they already know it,” Epps said. “It’s not a knock on the guys. But they watch a lot of NBA players and they want to be like them instead of just being like their own self. ”
Cat connections
Epps started in the backcourt alongside Tony Delk for Kentucky’s 1996 national championship team and had a team-high seven assists against Syracuse in the title game. In his final game, Epps scored 11 points in the Wildcats’ loss to Arizona in the 1997 national championship. He said it brings a smile to his face when Campbellsville plays on the road and opposing fans bring up his history at Kentucky.
“A lot of them will shake my hand and thank me for what I did at UK. Some will tell me I was one of their favorite players and how much they enjoyed watching me play. And that means more to me than anything. That I put enjoyment on other people’s faces,” he said. “When they ask me for pictures or autographs I always smile and do it, because I get it. We all get it. When you’re in that limelight you understand that Kentucky is a basketball state. Louisville fans, Eastern (Kentucky) fans, high school fans, they love their basketball and they love their players. So our job is to always give back when we can.”
Epps remains in touch with his comrades from those mid-90s teams, which under Rick Pitino carved out a special place in the hearts of UK fans by completing the redemption arc begun by “The Unforgettables.”
“We follow each other on social media and we’ve got a group text going. Every blue moon somebody will send a message out and everybody responds to it,” Epps said. “When people are doing good we’ll send them a text, and also when they’re down you’ve still got to be there for them, because we’ll always be brothers, no matter what anybody says. We’re all from different parts of the United States but those guys all the way from ‘93 to ‘97 are my brothers. We did something special and we’ll always have that bond.”
Despite his busy schedule, Epps still makes time to keep up with the current crop of Cats.
“I watch them a lot. I’ve become a big fan of Immanuel Quickley,” Epps said. “I love the way he plays the game within himself and about the team. He plays hard on both ends (of the court). You can tell this year that the work he put in in the offseason is starting to pay off.”
Next-level future?
Epps finished his undergraduate degree then earned a master’s in special education from Campbellsville University. He still teaches special education in addition to his coaching duties at Campbellsville High School.
“I really enjoy the kids. If I’m having a bad day they always make my day brighter,” Epps said.
And though he has dreams of eventually coaching at the college level, the joy he derives from his teaching duties is one of the reasons he’s content right where he his.
“I’m very happy here, because my day job as a teacher is tremendous. But everybody wants to coach at the next level. And I’ve been wanting to coach at the next level for 10 years now.
“They tell you, ‘Well, you’ve got to get your degree.’ I got my degree. I’m still waiting, so hopefully something will come up. If it does, it does,” Epps said. “But if it doesn’t, it’s OK. Because I feel like I can stay where I’m at for a long time … I’m in a good place. I think God placed me here for a reason. To help all these kids and for these kids to help me grow as a person. I love my job every day.”
This story was originally published February 4, 2020 at 1:39 PM.
