Devin Anderson

Cumberland Academy recently tabbed Devin Anderson as its fourth head boys basketball coach in program history.

Set to turn 25 in June, this will be Anderson’s first head coaching job.

“I’m very excited,” Anderson said. “It’s something I’ve dreamed of since I started wanting to coach. My main goal was to become a head coach. My mom and I talk about it all of the time that it’s crazy how fast it happened. When I was applying, people were telling me I was crazy and didn’t have the experience yet.

“But Coach (Brandon) Boyce — (Cumberland Academy athletic director) — he believes in me. When we had our interview, I knew this was the spot for me.”

Anderson played high school basketball at Cypress Lakes High School, where he was teammates with Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox. Anderson then went on to play at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas, for two years before transferring to Southwestern Adventist University in Keene.

Following his two years at Southwestern Adventist, where he averaged nearly 10 points and more than four rebounds per game, Anderson went into coaching.

“I always knew I wanted to do something with the game,” Anderson said. “I said when I was done playing, I wanted to start coaching. I know a lot of people my age are still playing. But I like to consider myself a realist. I knew I wasn’t going to go anywhere further than just semi-pro or something like that, so I was like I might as well get into it now, start coaching early.”

Anderson spent two years coaching at his alma mater at Southwestern Adventist. He then got into the high school ranks this past school year as an assistant coach at Taylor High School under head coach Stephen Gibson.

“When we got there, they hadn’t been to the playoffs since 2020, and we went this year,” Anderson said. “All of our seniors graduated and are going to college, and we had the valedictorian on our team with most of the guys finishing in the top 15 of the class.

“I want to bring that same energy and same culture here, not only on the basketball court but academically, as well. I want all of my kids to go to college, whether they want to play or just want to be students. I want them to be successful in anything they do.”

Anderson is the fourth head coach for the Knights, following Brian Crawford, Robert Sampson and Boyce.

Cumberland Academy has made the playoffs just once in program history, breaking through in 2020 but drawing regional finalist Paris in the first round. The program had its first full varsity season in 2017.

“We’re going to be family-oriented,” Anderson said. “We’re going to play hard. Every game you see, you’re going to see a hard-working product out there. I want to try to build this program up. I want them to start believing they can be a playoff team, that they can have 20-win seasons.”

Cumberland Academy went 0-12 in district this past season, competing in District 16-4A with Canton, Athens, Lindale, Brownsboro, Mabank and Van.