Purchase College Athletics

Epstein coached at Purchase back when there were just a handful of sports teams. He was a pioneer during the men's basketball early years. He wasn't the first coach to lead the team but he was the first to make an impact. From 1979-1987, Epstein was at the helm. In a March 6, 1984 article from the student run newspaper the Load, author Chris Grimm wrote "Coach Epstein created a successful formula for his players. Most of his strategy worked around the teams lack of height and took advantage of their superior speed and dexterity."  Well, that formula was indeed a successful one because the 1983-84 team, nicknamed the "Cardiac Kids", saw their first winning record in program history (17-8 overall). During his tenure, Epstein also coached at DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx (1965-1994). After the 1987 budget cuts eliminated Purchase's athletic programs, he continued coaching at DeWitt along with a slew of other local teams.