Central basketball coach Myron Epps done after 1 season

Myron Epps is out after one season as Central High’s boys basketball coach.

The former Tulare and San Diego State standout said Tuesday that he was informed by school administrators a day earlier that his coaching and district substitute teaching contracts would not be renewed.

Epps also said he received a written reprimand — for reasons dating to November 2014 that he declined to disclose — just before being informed he would not be back as the coach.

“It was carefully planned,” Epps said. “But I believe everything happens for a reason. I prefer it happen now than down the road.”

Central Athletic Director Ray Hightower directed questions to the district superintendent’s office. A call there was not returned Tuesday.

Epps arrived a little more than a year ago as a replacement for Tim Amundsen after four seasons at Tulare’s Mission Oak, where he went 92-31 with an East Yosemite League title and a Central Section Division III runner-up finish.

Central went 19-11 last season, placing second in the Tri-River Athletic Conference before losing in the D-I quarterfinals 81-71 to eventual runner-up Bullard.

The allure of coaching the school with the largest CBED enrollment (4,020) in the section and the challenge of competing in the challenging TRAC drew Epps from his native Tulare, where he also spent three seasons as an assistant at Tulare Western.

But Epps said he and district administrators were never on the same page when it came to things such as hiring coaches, decision-making for the program, gym times for the players and their study hall hours.

“I was just trying to work, but nothing came easy,” Epps said. “Everything was met with resistance. Personally, I think it was too much change too fast.”

Epps was Central’s third coach in four years, following the two-year run of Amundsen and Loren LeBeau, who was removed as coach in 2012 after a fatal drunken-driving crash that resulted in a 12-year prison sentence.

Epps said he wants to continue coaching, either running his own program again or as an assistant.

“My options are definitely open,” Epps said. “I’m looking to coach as soon as possible. I’m ready to go.”

Coaching moves

Clovis has replaced both of its basketball coaches, with former Fresno State standout Wil Hooker taking over the boys program and Greg Clark assuming control of the girls after coaching the River City-West Sacramento boys to a 59-25 record with two league titles over the past three seasons.

Hooker previously coached Memorial for four years, going 85-39 and finishing as the Southern California Regional runner-up in his final season, in 2004-05, with a team featuring future NBA stars Quincy Pondexter and Brook and Robin Lopez.

Hooker replaces John Jones, who went 221-208 with three league titles and two section runner-up finishes in 15 seasons, historian Bob Barnett said.

Clark replaces Steve Perkovich, who was 139-68 in seven seasons.

In another notable coaching move, Michael Remy has stepped down as Hanford West baseball coach after going 125-124 with one section championship in eight seasons.

City/County hall

Laura Garcia (Roosevelt and Fresno State), Dan Pagiolotti (Bullard and Fresno State) and Shannon Swillis (Bullard, USC and Fresno State) will be inducted into the City/County All-Star Basketball Game Hall of Fame during a banquet for this year’s players and coaches at 6 p.m. June 22 at the Buchanan cafeteria.

The games are set for 5:30 p.m. (girls) and 7:30 p.m. (boys) on June 24 at Buchanan.

This story was originally published June 2, 2015 at 6:09 PM with the headline "Central basketball coach Myron Epps done after 1 season."