TIFFANY EPPERSON
She’s his
rock
DYNAMIC DUO Cheering on the Lions (above) is just one element of Tiffany Epperson’s job as the coach’s wife. Embracing after a dominant 42-13 win against Holland Hall Oct. 10, the Eppersons (left) enjoy another Homecoming game win.
EVER SINCE HER CHEERLEADER DAYS AT TCU, TIFFANY EPPERSON HAS BEEN THE WOMAN BEHIND BART EPPERSON — BUT SHE’S MORE THAN THAT. SHE’S A HUGE LIONS FAN, A WIFE AND A MOTHER.
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iffany Epperson knows more about football than most men. After years of cheering for the TCU Horned Frogs and years of supporting her sons on the field and years of watching Lions’ football, don’t be surprised when she says that the offense shouldn’t run a certain play because the other team is in a 4-3 defense. She comes to every game, standing on the track in her white Lions varsity football shirt, thinking over plays and hoping her team, the Lions, trots into the endzone and adds more points to the scoreboard than the other team. She’s not a coach. But a coach’s wife. Head football coach Bart Epperson, Tiffany Epperson’s husband, knows that Tiffany has a love for football after being surrounded by the sport for many years. “She is a very athletic woman,” Bart Epperson said. “Growing up, she got introduced to all sports. Football was one of them, and then being married to me and listening to me dictate certain plays before and after practice helps. She comes to a lot of two a day practices, so she’s actually able to see and watch the guys out there on the field and understand it. She’d be a great assistant.” But Tiffany knows that her role is to be a coach’s wife. As a part of that role, Tiffany experiences the games as a spectator. “I love being in the stands because I love to see the whole play take place,” Tiffany Epperson said. “I think when you’re on eye level, it’s just a different feel. But when he’s [Bart Epperson] coaching, I like to see
the actual run or pass or whatever happening.” However, being a coach’s wife doesn’t mean Tiffany just gets to come to games and support her husband. Tiffany is also a mother to two kids, Maddox and Matthew Epperson, fifth and sixth graders respectively, and when two-a-days hit in August, Bart Epperson has to spend most of his time away from the family. “The life of a wife means that starting from Aug. 1, when two-a-days start, you’re pretty much a single mom,” Tiffany Epperson said. “Everything revolves around sports and whether the game is in town or out of town, you’re there. Or making plans to go. Then, everything with the kids defaults to me. I think that with being a coach’s wife you have to be prepared during the season.” Bart Epperson also acknowledges that being a coach’s wife means that there will be times where the family will not always be together.
“She’s basically a single mom during football season,” Bart Epperson said. “And it’s a tough transition early on for her, but obviously you get into a routine. She’s really a rock for me. She allows me to do what I want to do.” As a result of the time constraints of being the varsity football coach, Bart Epperson has to miss some of his son’s games. While the couple regrets this occurrence, they both know Bart Epperson’s job has time constraints the two must deal with. “I think the biggest challenge for me, the kids and Bart really is that our kids play on Saturday mornings,” Tiffany Epperson said. “So Bart has to miss almost all of their games. As fifth and sixth graders, its hard for them. They do understand, but it’s also really hard for them to understand why their dad can’t be at their games.” When the fourth quarter ends and the scoreboard shines quadruple zeros, Tiffany’s night is far from over. She gets home, puts the boys to bed and clicks to Channel 21 to watch local high school football highlights. She can’t sleep until Bart gets home. That means she could be up until 3 a.m., 6 a.m., or won’t go to sleep at all while her husband watches film late into the night preparing for next week. Once Bart’s truck headlights light up the windows, Tiffany is there to support her husband. She always asks the same two questions about the game: “who are you excited for? Who can you help get better?” “I always just like to know from his point of view the best part of it and the part to work on Monday,” Tiffany Epperson said. “Then we will go to bed, and he’s usually back to work at seven. Sometimes he will just go home, take a shower and then go back.”
STORY PHILIP SMART, ZACH NAIDU | PHOTOS ARNO GOETZ
These questions help Bart Epperson reflect on the past in order to improve for the next game. Bart Epperson says this input helps him more than the Friday morning pep-rally Tiffany performs with her kids inspired by her past TCU cheering days. “I think she’s trying to, as I’m coming down from the game, win or lose, get me to open up a little on the guys that really played extremely well,” Bart Epperson said. “And the other side of that coin is who do you think didn’t play as well and what areas can they improve on.” In addition to supporting Bart Epperson, Tiffany Epperson is also close to many of his players. Junior Drew Baxley shares a family-friend bond with the entire Epperson family after playing for Bart Epperson, having an older brother, Cameron Baxley ‘14, who played for Bart Epperson and having a 10-year-old younger brother, Keats Baxley, who is friends with the Epperson’s kids. CONTINUED ON PAGE 25
‘THE FIRST FRIDAY WHEN THERE’S NOT A GAME, IT FEELS LIKE WE’VE MISSED SOMETHING. IT’S KIND OF LIKE WHEN THE MOM DUCK COUNTS ALL HER DUCKLINGS — IT FEELS LIKE WE CERTAINLY HAVE MISSED SOMETHING.’ TIFFANY EPPERSON
SPORTS
THE REMARKER OCTOBER 31, 2014 PAGE 23 24 ESPORTS 26 MITCHELL SO 27 SPC PREVIEWS 28 MOUNTAIN BIKING