BPC Men’s Basketball Announces Coaching Changes

Courtesy of BPC

Brewton-Parker College Men’s Basketball and Head Coach Leonard Epps have announced some updates to the program’s coaching staff with three new faces joining the sidelines for the 2023-24 season. Coach Epps is set to bring in three assistant coaches to the Barons’ program as Travis Jackson, Je-Mario Rugley, and Kevin Jefferson join the BPC family.

Jackson joins the program after previously serving as the Head Boys’ Basketball Coach at Arnold High School in Florida where he led the program to a pair of All-County Selections as well as a Player of the Year Runner-Up. Off the court, Jackson led a team that earned the highest GPA in the county while also leading the charge in his fundraising efforts.

Prior to Arnold HS, Jackson led the Boys’ Basketball program at Avant Garde Academy for one season where he improved the win total by 10 games, leading the program to its first playoff win in school history. He also produced a program-best 11-2 home record while also producing two All-County Selections.

Jackson’s collegiate coaching experience has included stops at Atlantis University (Fla.) as an Associate Head Men’s Coach from 2020-22 and Broward College (Fla.) as the Assistant Men’s Coach during the 2019-20 season. In addition, Jackson served at NSU University School (Fla.) as the Assistant Boys’ Coach. Off the court, Jackson has secured his Bachelor’s in Business and is currently pursuing his Master’s in Business Administration.

As for Rugley, he comes to Mount Vernon after serving at Winona Secondary School in Mississippi where he was the Head Coach for both the Junior High and Varsity Boys’ Basketball programs while also teaching Physical Education as well as Health and Personal Finance.

Prior to coaching at Winona, Rugley also coached at Saint Andrew’s Episcopal School where he coached both football and basketball while also serving as a teacher. In addition, he made stops at Forest Hill High School, Ridgeland High School and Madison Avenue Elementary.

As a coach, Rugley has been a part of three MHSAA Class 3A Basketball State Titles (2018, 2020, 2021) while also helping lead his team to a MHSAA Class 3A District Championship in 2022 and continuing to a MHSAA Class 3A Elite Eight Appearance in the same season.

Rugley has completed three degrees, earning a Master’s in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation from Jackson State (Miss.). He also earned his Bachleor’s in Computer Science fron Tougaloo College (Miss.) while also holding an Associate’s in Liberal Arts from Skyline College.

Lastly, Jefferson joins the men’s program after previously serving as a student assistant at Toccoa Falls (Ga.) where he graduated with a Business Administration degree while minoring in Sports Management. Jefferson served in a multipurpose role for the athletic department at Toccoa Falls where he performed multiple roles such as game setup, statistical input, and support for various athletics.

“I am excited to bring in an experienced staff that I believe will continue to move the men’s basketball program forward,” Coach Epps said. “With that being said, I am beyond thankful for Coach Jovan’s time here at BPC and I look forward to watching his progress at the next level.”

“As for the new staff, I am excited to bring on three new guys who are great additions to the family,” Epps added. “We are thrilled to get the season going and we are looking to continue making an impact in this conference.'