Spring Valley looking for its next boys basketball coach. Here are the details
Spring Valley is in the market for a new boys basketball coach.
Cypheus Bunton is stepping down as Vikings coach after five seasons, he told The State on Saturday. Bunton said he wants to spend more time with his family and his daughter, who is becoming more involved in athletics.
“Focusing on my family and wanting to be a supportive dad to my daughter who’s taking a liking to volleyball, and I want to be there to support her,” Bunton told The State. “I’ve been in coaching for over 20 years and had some wonderful experiences both on the collegiate level and high school level.
“I have sustained lasting relationships with the kids I’ve coached. I helped some get to the NBA and help others get college scholarships. I gave my all to coaching, and now I want to give my all to my family.”
Bunton won 50 games at Spring Valley and the Vikings went 10-16 this season, losing in the first round of the playoffs. Spring Valley made the playoffs in each of his five seasons. Before getting the Spring Valley head coaching job, Bunton was an assistant coach with the Vikings since 2012.
“We are very thankful and appreciative for the well over 10-plus years coach Bunton has served Spring Valley High School in many different roles,” Spring Valley athletic director John Combs said. “Coach Bunton was an outstanding school resource officer, assistant basketball, and head basketball coach that was a part of some of the exciting times for our basketball program.
“Even in his last message to our players, he was teaching and coaching some valuable life lessons. He said, and I certainly feel the same way, once a Viking, always a Viking.”
Combs said they will move quickly in finding Bunton’s replacement and hope to take a name before the school board by the end of March. The school will start taking applications for the vacancy this week once it is posted.
Before Spring Valley, Bunton was an assistant coach at South Carolina under Darrin Horn from 2008-10 and then during the 2011-12 season. He was the Gamecocks’ director of player development in 2010-11.
Bunton also coached with Horn at Western Kentucky from 2004-08 and came to Columbia when Horn took the Gamecocks job. Bunton and Horn were college teammates at WKU in the mid-1990s.
Spring Valley is the third area team with a boys basketball coaching vacancy, joining Lexington 1 schools River Bluff and Gilbert.
This story was originally published February 28, 2026 at 2:09 PM.
