Dr. Phillips brings back state-title-winning boys basketball coach

Dr. Phillips High has announced that legendary Panthers boys basketball coach Ben Witherspoon will return to lead the Southwest Orange County program as head coach again after spending the last three seasons as a D-I college hoops assistant coach. 

“I’m excited to get back,” Witherspoon said. “We're looking to build this program the right way and get back to winning the way we did when I was last here; we want to actually take the program to heights even higher than before. We’ll do that by building on the same foundations we did before and that starts with being the ultimate teammate. That is all about being completely unselfish, having a genuine commitment to team success and playing with a level of desperation and toughness that's just unmatched and relentless. Approaching everything we do with a growth mindset is another big part of our foundation. Our team will understand that there are going to be challenges along the way, but that's what we want because we grow through challenges. That growth mindset was a big part of our success as a program a few years back and it will remain that way moving forward.”

Following a pair of stints as an assistant coach at Montverde Academy — including the 2013-14 season, where he helped lead an Eagles team that included current NBA players Ben Simmons and D’Angelo Russell to an undefeated national championship season — and a few seasons as the head coach at Cypress Creek High, Witherspoon was tapped to take over as the next head coach of a Dr. Phillips program coming off of a 12-15 season in 2018-19. 

The young coach was able to quickly turn the program around, leading the Panthers to a 20-8 record and a district championship in his first season. He followed up that by leading the 24-3 Panthers to their first-ever boys hoops state title in 2020-21 and a second trip to the state title game in 2021-22 — losing by one point to the Columbus High Explorers, who went on to win four-consecutive state championships led by future Duke Blue Devils and twin brothers, Cameron and Cayden Boozer — finishing both seasons nationally ranked. 

The Embry-Riddle alum’s three-season stint as DP’s coach was the most successful in program history, seeing him lead the Panthers to a combined record of 70-17. It’s no wonder the Panther faithful are buzzing at his return.

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“Coach Witherspoon is well known in the Orlando basketball community,” said Panthers Athletic Director Jason McDaniel. “He brings a lot of opportunities for Dr. Phillips High to expand and grow our men's basketball program. One thing that is vital in sports is community. Coach Witherspoon has the ability to bring our basketball community together and that is what we need at this time.”

Witherspoon left Dr. Phillips following his third season with a combined record of 70-17 to become an assistant coach at UCF for head coach Johnny Dawkins. During his time as DP coach, Witherspoon coached 10 future college basketball players, including McDonald’s High School All-American and current TCU center Ernest Udeh Jr., former four-star recruit and current Mississippi State guard Riley Kugel, and former three-star prospect and current Florida Gators guard Denzel Aberdeen.

As a member of the UCF coaching staff, Witherspoon helped lead the Knights to 19 wins in his first season and a first-round NIT win over Florida, and a pair of his former DP players Kugel and Aberdeen. After a second season at UCF, Witherspoon spent this past season as an assistant coach at Mercer University. 

Witherspoon will replace Antonio Cunningham, who is pursuing opportunities within administration at Orange County Public Schools. Cunningham took over from Witherspoon in 2022-23 and finishes his three-season tenure as Panthers coach with a combined record of 33-44. 

“DPHS Athletics is excited to have Coach Witherspoon back, as he brings a wealth of knowledge from the college (game),” McDaniel said. “We would like to thank Coach Cunningham for his commitment to the (program) for the last three years.”

Witherspoon’s resume as a high school coach alone is more than enough reason for Panther Nation to be excited for this next chapter of the boys basketball program but when you also consider the added experience he’s gained over the past three seasons as a Division I college basketball coach, players and fans alike must be giddy when considering the future of this program. 

“I think my time in college will really help me at the high school level,” Witherspoon said. “Having an understanding of the current landscape of college basketball is a massive benefit for our players because I’ll be able to help guide them through the process, which has changed dramatically even from my last year at Dr. Phillips, especially when you consider elements like the transfer portal, NIL and the way high school kids are being recruited or should I say not being recruited. … The other aspect of coaching in college that will be a benefit to our program is how I go about player development. That will look a lot different now because I have such a better idea of what a college player looks like, what a player needs to do to not only get to that level but be successful at that level.”

When Witherspoon left the program in 2022, he told the Orange Observer that it felt like the right time to pursue his goal of coaching in college. As he’s set to return to the high school level, his reason for returning echoes his thoughts from three years ago: The time was right. 

“I'm really excited to be a head coach again at a place where we made some history, a place where I know that I love the community and the school,” he said. “The administration in place now at Dr. Phillips has been awesome. Our principal (Jackie Ramsey) is fully invested in building our program back to where it was and beyond. Our athletic director, Jason McDaniel, is great and has shown that he’s on top of everything, and has been taking our athletic program to the next level these last couple of years. … So, looking at the opportunity to come back, it felt like the timing was right. I knew I wanted to be a head coach again — I love having my own program and being able to make an impact on young people by helping them grow as students, as people and as players. That was the primary motivation for making the move and then the timing just worked out perfectly that the Dr. Phillips job was available. Then it just came down to having a good enough relationship with the administration here that they thankfully chose me to be the next head coach.”

Witherspoon will be formally introduced to the players and media Monday, March 31, at a press conference held at the school.