Interim tag removed from Evans

Aug. 30—Cumberland University is removing the interim tag off of men’s basketball coach Eric Evans II, announced Wednesday by Vice President of Athletics Ron Pavan.

“I am excited to announce that the interim tag for Eric Evans has been removed,” Pavan said. “He is now the head men’s basketball coach and he has done a wonderful job going into year two.”

Evans inherited the team last year in July and was handed the No. 1 strength of schedule in the NAIA for his first season. The team won six games battling numerous injuries to go along with the treacherous schedule.

Cumberland produced the conference’s leading scorer last season and second team All-Mid-South member Demarius Boyd. Boyd scored 485 points averaging 19.4 per game. Evans has revamped the roster coming into this season adding six transfers and five freshmen while retaining key pieces from last season’s team.

Evans had served as an assistant coach on the Phoenix since 2019, prior to stepping into the interim role at the start of the season last year. He spent two seasons as a volunteer assistant before being promoted to the full time assistant coach in 2021.

In his first year as the full time assistant coach in 2021-22, Cumberland men’s basketball reached heights the team has never seen before. The Phoenix posted their first 20-win season in over 10 years, reached the NAIA National Tournament for the first time since 2009 and earned their first national tournament win since 2004.

He has coached five All-Mid-South Conference first team honorees at Cumberland including NAIA All-Americans Jalen Duke, Tavon King and Jordan Stephens, and one Mid-South Conference Defensive Player of the Year, TJ Stargell.