Veteran women’s basketball coach and Detroit native Oties Epps makes a return home with it being announced that he’ll be the new assistant coach for the University of Detroit Mercy women’s basketball program and head coach Bernard Scott.
Most recently the associate head coach at Cleveland State for the past two seasons, Epps has 17 years of basketball coaching experience and was the women’s basketball head coach at Evansville for five seasons from 2011-16. Epps is a native of Highland Park, Michigan.
“Oties Epps is a great addition to our program,” coach Scott said. “He’s going to bring energy, passion and knowledge of the game! His experience as a head coach and the past few years as associate head coach at Cleveland State will benefit our players and coaching staff. This is a great hire for our program and I’m looking forward to coach Epps getting started.”
Epps, a veteran coach of the Horizon League, is thrilled to be returning back to where it all started for him — Detroit.
“I’m extremely excited to be a part of the University of Detroit Mercy community as part of the women’s basketball staff,” Epps said. “The position was attractive because of coach Scott’s drive and the vision he has for the program. This gives me and my family the opportunity to return home. But more importantly, coach Scott and I are passionate about helping young people through this game.
“I believe that great things are ahead for the University of Detroit Mercy and its women’s basketball program. I’m looking forward to getting started.”
Epps had two separate coaching stints at Cleveland State, coaching there from 2004-08 and from 2016-2018, spanning six seasons overall. After his first stint at Cleveland State, he was an assistant women’s basketball coach at the University of Wisconsin for three seasons from 2008-11 before being hired at Evansville as the head coach prior to the 2011-12 season.
While at Cleveland State in the past two seasons, Epps helped coach the Vikings to a five-win improvement over each of the previous seasons. A total of five players earned All-Horizon League accolades during the past two years.
As the leader at Evansville, Epps led the team to its best conference record in seven seasons during his second year and in his third season at the helm, Evansville earned a Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI) postseason bid, finishing fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 10-8 league mark. During his fourth season in 2014-15, the Purple Aces advanced to the Final Four of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament for the first time since 2009. In his five-year tenure, Epps coached his players to nine All-Conference accolades and Sara Dickey was just the second player in program history to received the MVC Freshman of the Year honor following the 2013-14 season. His team also earned the University of Evansville Community Service Award during three seasons (’12-13, ’13-14 and ’14-15) during his time with the Purple Aces as well as the University of Evansville Inclusion Award, among many other community service initiatives.
In each of Epps’ three seasons as a coach at Wisconsin, the Badgers reached a postseason tournament with Wisconsin qualifying for the NCAA Tournament in 2009-10 and earning National Invitational Tournament (NIT) bids in both 2008-09 and 2010-11. Wisconsin was among the Big Ten leaders in defense during his time with the Badgers, ranking first and second in scoring defense during his final two seasons there. The Badgers went 56-31 overall in his tenure.
During his first stint at Cleveland State, Epps helped the program to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history in 2007-08 after the Vikings won the Horizon League tournament title and was part of the coaching staff that produced the second-most wins in school history (19) and executed the fifth-best program turn-around in NCAA Division I history, going from eight wins the year before to 19-14 and the NCAA Tournament appearance. He also coached Dominique Butler, who became the program’s first HL Defensive Player of the Year in 2007-08, his last season during his first stint at Cleveland State.
Epps began his coaching career at his alma mater Wisconsin-Stout from 2001-04 as an assistant men’s basketball coach at the Division III level.
Epps has mentored 19 All-Conference players during his 17 years as a coach.
A former player for Wisconsin-Stout, he earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Studies in 2002 and Master of Science in Education in 2006.
He is the fourth assistant coach hired by head coach Bernard Scott in his four seasons at the helm of the program. Epps will be the top assistant for the Titans, while assistant coach Molly Bateman added the title of recruiting coordinator, in addition to her other roles and duties coaching Detroit Mercy.
“Molly has done a great job with leading our recruiting efforts since taking over the responsibility last season,” Scott said. “She’s really good with building relationships with recruits, parents and coaches! She deserves the recruiting coordinator title and will do a great job for our program in that role.”
Tagged with: Detroit Horizon League
