Long calls an end to DP coaching days
Dr. Phillips boys basketball coach Anthony Long announced on Wednesday that he is stepping down after a 15-season run that saw the Panthers average more than 22 wins per year.
“I'm wanting to spend more time with my own 8-year-old autistic son and my wife,” Long said in a written statement. “Time and demands that are involved in running this program have been a strain.
“I'm not embracing the grind like I used to, so it's someone else's turn. I'm not seeking nor will I take any other coaching job for next year. I'm staying at DP to teach. It's just time to move on and start a new chapter of my life.”
Dr. Phillips completed a 19-10 season on Tuesday night when it lost 69-58 on the road against the thirdranked team in Class 9A, Oak Ridge (24-4), in a region semifinal game.
That gave Long a 332-106 record at DP and a 480-175 career mark counting his seven prior seasons at Gainesville High.
Five times he had teams in state championship games, including back-to-back title teams at GHS in 1999 and 2000.
Dr. Phillips was a state runner-up in 2007, 2010 and 2011.
DP completed the state’s second longest all-time streak of 20-win seasons under Long’s watch. That run started with nine straight 20-plus years under former coach Theo
McWhite and continued with 20 or more victories in Long’s first 13 seasons on the job (2002-15).
That streak ended in 2015-16 when DP finished 19-9 after losing three top players — current seniors Chaundee Brown, Malik William and Elijah Jordan — to The First Academy.
Stating their case
For the tenth time in history and seventh time in 11 seasons since 2007, two area teams will reach the final four in the state’s largest classification for boys basketball.
That’s guaranteed because both the 9A Region 1 and Region 2 finals will be all-area affairs on Friday night.
Oviedo (21-7) plays at Wekiva (24-5), which seeks its first state tournament berth, in the Region 1 final. That game will be played at 8 p.m., an hour later than the norm, to allow Wekiva fans who follow their girls team to Lakeland for a 5 p.m. state semifinal, time to to get back home for the boys game.
Oak Ridge (24-4) goes to Kissimmee Osceola (27-2) for the Region 2 final at 7. Admission is $7. The winners will play state semifinals in Lakeland next Friday and could meet for the state championship a day later.