Ex-Cat Erik Daniels takes over girls’ basketball program at Paul Laurence Dunbar
Erik Daniels, the former Kentucky basketball player who has been the head coach of the Woodford County girls’ basketball team for the last three seasons, has been named to the same position at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School.
Daniels was introduced as the successor to Nick Runyon at the school on Thursday morning.
“It’s always been a goal of mine to get back to Lexington so I can coach,” Daniels said. “I want to win the 11th Region. That’s one of the toughest regions in the state. I believe they have some good pieces here, and I believe we can achieve that goal.”
In three seasons at Woodford County, Daniels led the Yellow Jackets to a 26-48 overall record that included a career-best 15-15 mark and a 30th District runner-up season in his first year, 2019-20. Woodford bowed out of the 8th Region Tournament that year in the first round.
Daniels’ team struggled significantly during the pandemic-marred 2020-21 season, going 3-15 and facing a number of COVID-19 protocol stoppages. Last season, Woodford went 8-18 and bowed out in the 30th District semifinals as the tournament’s third seed.
“My main emphasis is on development. I’ve had a very young team the past two years,” Daniels said. “We started three freshmen this year, so I’m really focused on developing. You take your lumps early, but once the girls kind of catch on to what you’re trying to teach and we get some of the right pieces in there, the outcome that I think will happen should come.”
The 11th Region has been dominated the last several years by Franklin County, which is the three-time defending champ.
“I just want to work with the girls and teach them my philosophy and hopefully we can compete with the Franklin Counties in the state,” Daniels said. “I don’t know how soon that will be but if we put the work in, I think it will happen.”
Daniels was a 1,000-point scorer for the Wildcats from the 2000-04 season and spent several years as a pro player overseas. Before taking the Woodford job, he was an assistant girls’ coach at Bryan Station.
Daniels made a splash in his first season at Woodford by hiring other former University of Kentucky players to his staff, including 2013 Miss Basketball Makayla Epps.
Daniels’ daughter, Eriyaune Daniels, was a seventh-grade member of Frederick Douglass’s junior varsity basketball team this past season. His son, Erik Jr., is an eighth-grader; he said both should be suiting up for Dunbar next school year.
“Yeah, next year, my son will be attending here and playing football and basketball, and my daughter, hopefully we can get her over here next year so she don’t have to wear that green anymore,” Daniels said, laughing.
Runyon led Dunbar’s girls’ program for seven seasons which included three consecutive 43rd District titles from 2018 to 2020 and two runs to the 11th Region semis during that time. His career mark of 115 wins and 84 losses included a career-best 23-9 record in 2019-20.
Runyon told the Herald-Leader he decided to step away this year to pursue administrative opportunities within the school system. The Bulldogs finished 8-17 last season.
Sayre promotes assistant
With the retirement of girls’ basketball coach Bart Bellairs at the end of last season, Sayre has named assistant Eric Kinder as the varsity program’s new head coach.
Kinder is a Kentucky graduate and has been an assistant with the Spartans for the last four seasons, according to the school.
Bellairs, who came to Sayre after a distinguished career in the collegiate ranks, led the girls’ program for four seasons with a record of 41-54, which included a 12-4 record during the COVID-19-marred 2020-21 season.
Change at Tates Creek
Also in the girls’ ranks, Tates Creek is looking for a new head coach after Matt Yates stepped down at the end of this past season. The Commodores finished with an 11-13 record and pushed eventual 43rd District champion Lafayette to overtime in the district semifinals before falling 55-53.
Yates led the program for six seasons, including a stunning run to the district championship from fourth place a year ago. Unfortunately, that team had to forfeit its corresponding 11th Region berth due to COVID-19 protocols within the team.
Yates’ best record with the Commodores came in the 2019-20 season with a mark of 18-13 that included a district runner-up finish and an 11th Region Tournament appearance.
