Coach Lindsey leads our overall Girls Basketball team and strategy and is Varsity Girls Head Coach. He has had over a decade of coaching experience ranging from developing young players to the Varsity level. In the last 8 seasons, he led the girls basketball program at the Greenville Hurricanes and turned it into one of the top girls basketball programs in Greenville County. He has a passion to help kids meet their potential and has hosted 9 years worth of camps and clinics. Coach Lindsey joined the Upstate Falcons to develop a strong girls basketball program that fosters a joy for the game.

Coach Amerson serves as the Varsity Girls Assistant Coach and is a graduate of Appalachian State University, with a degree in Health Science/Promotion. She and her husband, Asheton have 3 children, Bailey, Tucker, and Blake. Tracey enjoys spending time outdoors, being with her family, and cheering for the North Carolina Tarheels. She played basketball through high school, and is in her 4th year coaching with Coach Lindsey.

Coach Erkens has loved the game of basketball all his life. He continues to play pick up ball weekly. He has served two years as a head coach both for middle school and JV and will be moving up to our Varsity Girls team as an Assistant Basketball Coach for the Falcons. Coach Erkens is a key proponent of our program mindset. In his third year in coaching, he brings a wealth of playing experience to the game.

Coach Katie McKenna will be stepping into the role of Head Coach for the Middle School Girls for the 2026-27 season. We are excited to have Coach McKenna join the staff. Katie played competitive basketball through middle school (Alabama) and high school (Georgia), improving the most by letting her three brothers push her around during their frequent family pick-up games in the driveway. While she ultimately chose to not pursue college ball, Katie was involved in Georgia Southern University's intramural sports program as a player and as a referee. She is married to Jered, a musician and audio/visual professional, and together they are raising five daughters. Katie has coached rec league basketball for three years and loves to help young, female athletes develop their skills and grow in character and gospel-infused confidence. She has also been involved in both music and children's ministries in the local church context for over two decades. Katie enjoys reading widely, thinking deeply, learning daily, and perfecting her spin move in the driveway.

Coach Cripps is in his second year as head coach for basketball and will move into the JV girls head coaching role. Coach Cripps also has two years of prior experience coaching recreational sports. A former multi-sport athlete, he played basketball at Waubonsie Valley High School and was a three-year varsity soccer player, later competing at the collegiate level for Spartanburg Methodist College. Outside of coaching, he works as a licensed Physical Therapist which gives him a unique understanding of athletic performance, injury prevention, and physical development—skills he brings directly to his coaching style. He is also a proud husband and father of five daughters and is passionate about helping young athletes grow both on and off the court.

Melissa Gilliam joins our coaching staff as our high school JV Girls team Assistant Coach.

Melissa comes to us having played competitive sports throughout high school and college. In basketball she earned multiple All-state, all conference and MVP honors while also having the opportunity to travel twice to Russia to compete internationally-expanding her perspective on the game and strengthening leadership and teamwork skills. She continues to play in two different women’s leagues maintaining her passion for growth and competition.

Her coaching experience brings a commitment to developing athletes both on and off the court. Her faith is the foundation of her philosophy, and she strives to create a Christ centered environment focused on discipline, fundamentals, integrity and servant leadership. Her goal is to mentor young women to pursue excellence in basketball, academics and their personal walk with God.

Travis Hendley serves as our Boys Head Coach and leads our overall boys basketball strategy and was born and raised in St. Simons Island, GA, where he developed a love for basketball at a young age. A former player at Glynn Academy in Brunswick, he combines a passion for basketball with a strong focus on guiding and developing each team he coaches.

Travis has coached recreational basketball for all three of his children over the past 8 years and served as Special Assistant to the Langston Chargers Middle School Girls Team in 2022 before becoming Assistant Head Coach in 2023. During that time, the team won a regular season championship and finished as runners-up the following year.

He views coaching as a calling to serve God by mentoring young athletes both on and off the court. Travis focuses on building integrity, discipline, and a Christ-like mindset. With his love for the game and heart for discipleship, he brings energy and encouragement to every practice, passionate about helping players become confident leaders who compete with humility and character.

Coach Poff brings a passion for player development and a strong sense of TEAM to the Falcons program.  As the Middle School Boys Head Coach, he is committed to teaching fundamentals, building character, and helping young athletes grow into confident ballplayers. 

     Coach Poff grew up as a multi-sport athlete and after becoming a father, he continued his love of sports as a multi-sport coach.  He has coached multiple seasons of youth baseball and basketball and loves being on the field.

     Off the field, Coach Poff is married to his beautiful wife Abbey of 17 years and together they have 3 boys (Mac, Gus and Deacon).  They are members of Grace Church in Travelers Rest and Coach Poff is the owner of Poff Chiropractic in Greenville.

Coach Poff brings a passion for player development and a strong sense of TEAM to the Falcons program.  He is committed to teaching fundamentals, building character, and helping young athletes grow into confident ballplayers. 

     Coach Poff grew up as a multi-sport athlete and after becoming a father, he continued his love of sports as a multi-sport coach.  He has coached multiple seasons of youth baseball and basketball and loves being on the field.

     Off the field, Coach Poff is married to his beautiful wife Abbey of 17 years and together they have 3 boys (Mac, Gus and Deacon).  They are members of Grace Church in Travelers Rest and Coach Poff is the owner of Poff Chiropractic in Greenville.

Josh first got a chance to play organized baseball in middle school and was able to play through high school which included an undefeated Georgia Christian School State Championship. To stay close to the game, Josh umpired for several years for Little League through elite High School levels.

Josh has coached both of his son's over the past 4 years. The urge to coach came from a desire to see the entire team develop over the course of the season and the opportunity to positively impact boys' lives. While these teams have included several championships and #1 overall rankings, the player development aspect is what enables the overall team success. The same tools needed to be successful as an athlete are what can help someone throughout their life.

Josh and his wife Amy attend Taylors First Baptist Church along with their two sons.

Lou Zepeda serves as the JV Head Baseball Coach for the Upstate Falcons and has been coaching baseball at various levels for the past eight years. A former multi-sport athlete from the Charlotte area, Lou has remained active in the Upstate baseball community through coaching, player development, and umpiring.

Lou began coaching at Northwest Little League, where he served on the board as Player Agent and Vice President. He coached multiple All-Star teams, including as an assistant coach for a district championship team that advanced to the final state championship game. He has also spent six years as a head coach with the Travelers Rest Rockies organization, developing players through the 13U level. His teams competed in Perfect Game and USSSA tournaments, earning numerous championship appearances and victories.

Lou’s focus is on developing confident, versatile players while building a team culture rooted in communication, accountability, and encouragement. He wants his players to leave the field not only as better baseball players, but as better teammates and young men.

Coach Dather will be our Varsity Girls Head Coach as we start our inaugural volleyball season in 2026. Coach Dather will lead our overall program strategy as we implement a development path for athletes looking to continue to improve in the game.

Coach Dather was a multi-sport athlete during her High School years at Eastside High School. She also currently serves as the Falcons Assistant Coach for our Junior Varsity Girls Basketball Team. Coach Dather is passionate about Volleyball and helping young ladies continue to develop.

We are excited to welcome Coach Liz Edmisten to the Volleyball coaching staff as she joins as the Middle School Girls Volleyball Head Coach. Coach Edmisten is a dedicated athlete and coach with a passion for both volleyball and mentoring young players. She played volleyball for Riverside High School, where she developed strong fundamentals, leadership skills, and a love for competition.

Coach Edmisten looks forward to helping athletes grow in their skills, confidence, and teamwork while also encouraging them to grow in their faith and love for Jesus. Her goal is to create a positive, supportive environment where players can thrive both on and off the court.

We are excited to welcome Coach Joy Holley to the volleyball coaching staff as she joins as the Middle School Girls Volleyball Assistant Coach. Coach Joy played volleyball in high school and has always had a love for the sport and the opportunities it creates to build confidence, character, and teamwork.

Outside of volleyball, Joy serves as a Youth Pastor, where she has a passion for pouring into the next generation and helping young people grow in their faith and discover who God has created them to be. She loves creating meaningful relationships with students and encouraging them both on and off the court.

Coach Joy is excited to come alongside Coach Liz and the team this season, helping athletes grow in their volleyball skills while also encouraging them in their faith, confidence, character, and relationships with one another. Her heart is to help create a positive, encouraging environment where every player feels supported, challenged, and valued.

Coach Brown is serving as our Runner Development Coach. He has been coaching young athletes in different sports since the mid 1990s.  Coach Brown started coaching track and field in the Greenville area beginning in 2016.  After working for 3 years with one of the largest youth teams in the upstate, in 2020 he was called to create a small Christ centered youth program using track and field as the delivery vehicle.

He ran competitively at the youth, high school and the collegiate level.  He was the Captain of his youth/club team, high school team and Georgia Tech track team.  He has been coached by Hall of Fame coaches at each level of his competitive career.  He is passionate to share with young athletes what has been poured into him during his running career.

He has helped seven athletes since 2022 compete at the collegiate level.  His goal is to help each athlete who has the ambition AND the work ethic to compete at the collegiate level.

Coach Lindsey has coached athletics for 12 years currently serving as the Varsity Girls Basketball Head coach and player development.

He handles most of the logistics for our Cross Country and Track team for meets as well as accountability for the running workouts that Coach Brown Develops for each athlete.

Coach Lindsey is very familiar with cross discipline strength and conditioning programs to help the development of each athlete on the team.

Coach Brittney Mims will serve as our Softball Head Coach.

Softball has been part of Coach Mims's life for as long as she can remember. She grew up in Mobile, Alabama, and graduated from St. Paul's Episcopal School, where she was a standout varsity player—primarily as pitcher and first base, and the team's cleanup hitter. Her success in travel softball earned her a scholarship offer to LSU, but during her senior year, she made the difficult decision to turn it down after her sister was diagnosed with leukemia, choosing to stay close to family.

Though her playing career took a different path, her love for the game never wavered. She returned to coach varsity softball at her alma mater, St. Paul's, and has since coached at both the recreational and travel levels—including alongside her own daughter's softball journey. She currently serves as head coach of the 10U Simpsonville Sass travel team.

Outside of softball, Coach Mims works as a physical therapist. She is married to Tyler Mims, and together they have three children—Grace, Bruce, and Brooks—who are homeschooled.

Coach Mims brings to her players not just softball expertise, but the perseverance, discipline, and leadership that have defined her own journey with the game.

Coach Harris has played competitive sports, including Basketball, Baseball, Football, and over 25 years of volleyball. He has also coached different youth sports at various levels.

His passion for coaching Softball came from volunteering at Mauldin Rec with his kids. He realized a strong need for Christ centered and positive coaching was very much present. Eventually, the family of Coach Mims, and the family of Coach Harris, realized the same was true for Travel Softball. They created, and still run, the Simpsonville Sass travel softball team. Their focus of teaching kids that God is who gave them their talents, and it is up to them to use and develop them, along with developing them to be the best they can be in life is what drives them.

Coach Harris is happily married to his wife and devoted to his kids. He is very active in his church and routinely serves as a Deacon. He is also employed in the Aircraft Maintenance Industry.