Southeastern University Athletics Director Drew Watson announced today that Joshua Epperson has been hired as the next women’s basketball coach for the Fire.
Epperson comes to SEU from Freed-Hardeman University, where he has been the head coach since 2020, leading the Lady Lions to three straight NAIA National Tournament appearances.
“Josh has a proven record as a coach who is concerned as much about building character and a healthy culture as he is about winning,” said Watson. “He has shown at Freed that you can do both, as well as have success in the classroom, and I am excited to see what he can do to build upon the winning tradition of Fire women’s basketball.”
In 2023, Freed won the Mid-South Conference Tournament Championship for the first time and won their first-round match-up in the national tournament before falling to eventual national champion Clarke in the second round. In addition to success on the hardwood, the team held the ninth-highest GPA in the NAIA. For his efforts, Epperson was a finalist for 2022-23 WBCA Coach of the Year.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to lead a storied program like Southeastern that values winning on the court, in the classroom, and in our spiritual lives,” said Epperson. “I want to thank SEU president, Dr. Kent Ingle, and athletics director Drew Watson for believing in me as the right person to lead this program.”
Before Freed-Hardeman, Epperson was the lead assistant coach at NCAA Division II Trevecca Nazarene for two seasons, focusing on the team’s offense and recruiting efforts. Prior to his time at Trevecca, he spent 10 years coaching high school basketball in Tennessee, winning district titles at Cumberland County and Unicoi County.
Epperson started in coaching as a graduate assistant at NCAA Division II Lubbock Christian, helping the team earn a spot in the Top 10 most of the season.
He and his wife, Kelly, have two daughters, Caroline and Annabelle.
The Fire are coming off a 22-8 season and won The Sun Conference regular season and tournament championships, qualifying for the NAIA tournament.
