Patty Evers has coached high school basketball for 30 years. She’s won more than 600 games and her teams have reached the state championship game five times.
Wednesday, March 18, the Bladen County native became a Hall of Famer.
The N.C. High School Athletic Association announced that Evers was among eight people selected to join its Hall of Fame for contributions that have had a lasting impact on high school athletics across the state.
“I’m honored,” Evers said, “and at a loss for words, really.”
Other members of the Class of 2026 are Fairmont’s Michael Baker, Zoe Bell, Grey Frey, Vicki Hamilton, Beecher “B.W.” Holt, Leonardo “Leo” Lockhart and Bobby Reynolds.
The induction ceremony is scheduled Aug. 15 at the Grandover Resort and Spa in Greensboro.
Evers will be the second Bladen County coach to be inducted into the NCHSAA Hall and the first who has spent her entire career in Bladen County. Former East Bladen football coach Bob Lewis was inducted in 2018. Lewis guided the Cougars to a share of the 1973 state title with Jamestown Ragsdale, then won four state football titles at Clinton and had a career 322-146-6 record.
Evers learned of her selection a few weeks ago from NCHSAA Commission Que Tucker.
“I was like ‘no way,’” Evers recalled telling Tucker.
“It’s an honor and that’s an understatement. It’s a nice class with seven other deserving folks that have been pioneers. Just to be part of that is amazing,” Evers said.
Evers has a 655-159 career record, which includes her first five years as head coach of the former Tar Heel High School. She has won 580 games at East Bladen, captured 15 conference championships, made 22 state regional appearances, nine final fours and five Eastern Regional championships. Evers has taught for 26 years and also served as an athletic director, NCHSAA Board of Directors member, NCADA Board of Directors and a longtime leader within statewide athletics.
“I want to help and offer whatever I’ve got that I can give to the student-athletes,” Evers said about serving on several state boards and serving as coordinator for Bladen County Special Olympics. She’s also the county’s athletic director as well as East Bladen’s athletic director.
Word of Evers’ Hall of Fame selection spread quickly Wednesday on East Bladen’s campus.
“Some of the girls were coming in here once they found out,” Evers said. “This wasn’t just me. This is hundreds of folks, young ladies, coaches, administrators and staff that I have worked with at East Bladen.”
Evers wasn’t expecting to coach basketball this past season. She had resigned at the end of the 2024-25 season, feeling the time was right to leave the sideline.
As the search for a new coach went on through the summer and school started, Evers applied for her old job and was back in the gym for the 2025-26 season. The Eagles went 20-8 and reached the third round of the NCHSAA 2A playoffs. It was the fourth 20-win season for East Bladen in the past five years since the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season. The Eagles won at least 20 games the previous eight seasons prior to 2020-21.
Reinvigorated after returning to the bench last season, Evers says she is far from finished with coaching.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she said.
East Bladen still is expected to have championship-contending girls’ basketball teams. Now, the Eagles will be led by a Hall of Fame coach.
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