LMA veteran boys basketball coach Epps will also coach varsity girls
Furse brings back entire football staff
Manning – When Betsy Reynolds stepped down as the girls basketball head coach at Laurence
Manning Academy at the end of the past season, the school began the process of filling that position, and
it feels like it hit the jackpot with the hire.
And Laurence Manning didn’t have to look very far for the new coach.
Will Epps, who led LMA to the 2012 AAA state championship and has been the boys head coach
for 18 years, will be in charge of the girls program.
"It was a decision … that wasn't too difficult of a decision,” said Laurence Manning athletic
director Will Furse. “He has done an outstanding job with the boys for the last 20 some odd years. It’s
something we (Furse and the administration) approached him about. It was just an easy transition.”
One reason it was an easy transition is the familiarity with the players he is inheriting from
Reynolds. Epps had been the girls B team coach for four of the past five years, so he actually has coached
the majority of the roster.
“We didn't have a B team girls coach, and he said he would do it,” Furse said. “He’s familiar with
the girls program, he’s coached a lot of them. Will respected Betsy as a coach and as a person and for the
job that she did in building the program.”
Reynolds was the head coach for four seasons. The Lady ‘Cats went just 6-18 in her final season,
but it was with a roster that had just two seniors as most of their top players were young underclassmen.
Furse isn’t concerned about Epps’ ability to handle both of the programs at one time.
“He’s actually coached three teams at one time,” Furse said. “He actually should have a little
more free time.”
Along with the boys varsity and the girls B team, Epps was coaching the junior varsity boys at the
same time.
Brittany Starling, the former Sumter High School basketball standout and USC Upstate Hall
of Famer, will return as an assistant for the girls.
Furse will be back for his second season as the AD and football head coach.
"I don't know if you would say I’m comfortable, I’m more familiar with the job is the way I look
at it,” Furse said of handling the AD duties. “I know the routine, what is expected. There are still
surprises, but I have a better idea of what’s coming, knowing what needs to be done to improve the
experience of the athletes.”
Furse led the Swampcats to a 9-4 record last season as they played in the SCISA AAAA state
championship contest.
“We had a pretty good summer,” Furse said. “We had some decent workouts, we competed in
some big 7-on 7 tournaments. We had some good days, some bad days,
“We still have some things to work out,” he added. “Our offensive line has to come together
along with our linebackers. I feel pretty good about our skill guys. We’ve got over 20 seniors, so we’re
top heavy in that regard, but their leadership is good. I’m anxious to get the pads on and see how things
come together.”
Furse will have his entire coaching staff returning. They are King Cutter, Patrick Anderson, Ed Manlove,
Epps, CJ Griffith and Shawn McCord.
Cutter is the offensive coordinator, Anderson will coach the quarterbacks and Manlove will coach
the offensive line. Epps will coach the defensive line with help from Griffith. McCord is the strength and
conditioning coach, and Kenneth Beatson is the equipment manager. He has served in that role since
1984.
McCord has led Laurence Manning to the last five consecutive speed and strength state
championships. He took over as the head coach for both the boys and girls track and field program last
year and had the largest number of participants in school history. That has Furse excited about what might
lay ahead.
“Coach McCord had between 60 and 70 student-athletes out last year,” Furse said. “That’s the
most people we’ve ever had on the team. I’m hoping he can build the program. I’m excited about the
future of the track program, especially when Shawn McCord gets behind something like only he can do.”
McCord will be assisted by Tina Sumpter and Frank Coffey.
Buddy Truett returns as the softball coach after leading the Lady ‘Cats within a victory of
winning the AAAA state championship. They pushed 3-time defending state champion Wilson Hall to
the if game of the state championship series, losing 2-1. Laurence Manning finished with a 22-9 record.
Veteran Barry Hatfield returns as the baseball coach. He has won four state titles at Laurence
Manning, the most recent coming in 2022.
Jay Atkins returns as the bowling coach. He led the co-ed team to the school’s second state title
in that category. The boys program has won seven state titles under Atkins’ guidance,
Jessica Weinberg is the girls tennis coach, Mike Davey is the lacrosse coach, Morgan Watt is
the boys golf coach, Gary Bennett is the girls golf coach, Amy Marshal is the volleyball coach and
Karla Beard is the boys and girls cross country coach.
Maria Rowland is the new cheer coach. Rowland is best known for leading Laurence Manning
to eight state championships in softball along with coaching the volleyball and girls basketball programs.
However, she was the cheer coach for LMA when she first started working at the school in the 1990s.
Furse is still looking to fill the boys soccer head coach position,
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