Cumberland University

Eric Evans II enters his third year as the Head Coach of the men's basketball team and his seventh year with the program after serving the previous four as an assistant coach. Evans started with Cumberland as a volunteer assistant coach in 2019-20 before being promoted to the full-time assistant coach in 2021 and then elevated to head coach in 2023.

In his first two seasons as the Head Coach, Evans has accumulated a 19-37 record. He has coached three All-Conference performers in two seasons: First Team honorees Demarius Boyd and Jalen Anglin in 2025 and Second Team honoree Boyd in 2024. 

In Evans first season as head coach, he played the No. 1 Strength of Schedule in the NAIA. Demarius Boyd earned Second Team All-Conference honors and led the Mid-South Conference in scoring. 

In 2024-25, Cumberland men’s basketball finished 13-16 (5-7 MSC), showing flashes of competitiveness in a high-paced season. The Phoenix averaged 80.9 points per game while forcing over 16 turnovers per contest, leading to 10.5 steals per game and a +3.5 turnover margin. Cumberland has two players earn First Team All-Conference honors and freshman Khi Wallace was named the MSC Freshman of the Year. Cumberland had seven players earn MSC Player of the Week honors and one earn NAIA National Player of the Week accolades. Cumberland posted a win over No. 1 Freed-Hardeman at home as well as No. 3 Georgetown in a span of 11 days during the season. 

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 team posted their first 20 win season in over ten years, reached the NAIA National Tournament for the first time since 2009 and earned their first national tournament win since 2004. 

As an assistant, 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.

During his time as an assistant, Evans served as the JV men's basketball head coach. In his first season in that role, the JV team won the Mid-South Conference JV tournament and has only lost two games in two seasons under his direction. 

Evans main duties have included contributing to player development, helping plan practices, assisting in game plan development, assisting with travel and accommodations for road trips, organizing game film, and other operational needs. 

Evans played one year of football and basketball at Trinity International University in 2013-14. Evans was a forward for the basketball team and tight end/defensive end on the football team. 

Prior to TIU, Evans was a standout athlete at Lancaster Christian Academy lettering in football, basketball, and soccer. In basketball, Evans averaged 16.9 points per game leading his team to a NACA championship while earning NACA All-American honors. In football, Evans and Lancaster Christian won the NACA championship in the fall of 2012 while also earning NACA All-American honors in football. He earned Daily News Journal Player of the Year in 2013 in basketball.

He earned his bachelor's of science in sport management degree in May 2021 from Middle Tennessee State University.

Evans II's Year-by-Year Coaching Career