Oakland City, IN - The Oakland City University women's basketball team has selected their next leader.
Oties Epps, a native of Highland Park, Michigan, brings a wealth of experience with 24 years in basketball coaching. Most recently, he took on the role of head girls' basketball coach at Harrison High School, where he successfully revitalized the program and reconnected with emerging local and regional talent.
Prior to returning to the area, Epps spent two seasons as associate head coach at the University of Detroit Mercy. During his tenure at Detroit, Epps was instrumental in doubling the team's win record in his first season. As the defensive coordinator, he led the team to excel by topping the league in steals and limiting eleven opponents to under 60 points. The 2019-2020 season showcased his recruiting impact, with the freshman class contributing an impressive 53% of the team's scoring efforts. Epps' coaching journey includes two separate tenures at Cleveland State, spanning six seasons from 2004-08 and 2016-18. In his first stint, he played a pivotal role in leading the program to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2007-08, contributing to the second-most wins in school history. Upon his return for a second tenure, he significantly contributed to the team's success, helping the Vikings improve their win record by five games in each season. Under his assistance, five players received All-Horizon League honors.
Between his Cleveland State tenures, Epps was the head women's basketball coach at the University of Evansville from 2011-2016 and assistant women's basketball coach at University of Wisconsin from 2008-11. As the head coach at Evansville, Epps led the team to its best conference record in seven years and a Women's Basketball Invitational postseason bid. His leadership saw the team advance to the Final Four of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament and earned multiple accolades, including nine All-Conference awards and the MVC Freshman of the Year honor for Sara Dickey. His commitment to excellence and community service has been recognized throughout his career, including receiving the University of Evansville Community Service Award and Inclusion Award. During his time at the University of Wisconsin, the Badgers consistently reached postseason tournaments, including an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2009-10, while leading the Big Ten in scoring defense.
Coach Epps began his coaching career at Wisconsin-Stout as an assistant men's basketball coach from 2001-04. A former player at Wisconsin-Stout, he holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies and a Master of Science in Education from the same institution.
Epps is married to Haley and is a proud father to two daughters, Madison and Aliah. The family is also eagerly anticipating the arrival of their son, Easton, expected in September of this year.
