When former professional basketball player and Gamecocks assistant basketball coach Cypheus Bunton set out on his career path, law enforcement was never in the cards. Thirty years later, the gold badge on his pressed grey uniform proves otherwise.
“I have to pinch myself every day to make sure I’m not dreaming,” said Bunton, who joined the Bureau of Protective Services in February 2024. “It’s a great job and I love what I do.”
Born in Louisville, Kentucky, basketball was a huge part of Bunton’s childhood. And the lessons learned on the court laid the foundation for the coach and officer he would become.
“Knowing how to treat people is important, whether it’s in basketball or law enforcement,” said Bunton. “I still apply what my own coach taught me about how to handle adversity. You are not only a reflection of you, but the department you’re with.”
Before his law enforcement career that took him from county deputy to state police officer, before his coaching career that allowed him to teach the next generation, and before the basketball career that allowed him to live and play on four different continents, Bunton started out shooting hoops with his brothers, dad, and uncles.
“We were known as a basketball family, and I had dreams to go professional,” said Bunton. “I never wanted to do anything else. It was always basketball.”
In high school, Bunton earned all-state and all-conference accolades. He went on to play for Western Kentucky University, where he and his team played in the NCAA tournament the Sweet 16 bracket in 1993. After Bunton and his coach decided it was best for him to pursue a professional career overseas, he found an agent and made connections with international teams. He began his professional career in 1994 in Israel, but over the next 10 years, he played for teams in New Zealand, Finland, Sweden, and finally in England.
“I wish everyone could experience a different culture outside of the United States. It’s breathtaking,” Bunton said. “The towns that we played in embraced our team like it’s a part their culture. The arenas were always full, and they showed great support.”
Bunton’s professional career ended in 2003 due to a knee injury, and he returned to the states to continue doing the next best thing: coaching. After coaching high school for about a year, he received a call from former teammate and the head coach for Western Kentucky at the time, Darrin Horn, who asked Bunton if he wanted to return to his alma mater to coach.
It was an easy yes for Bunton, who stayed with WKU for four years. The team had great seasons, even winning the 2008 Conference USA Championship and reaching the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. That same year, Horn was offered the head coach position for the University of South Carolina, and Bunton, with the rest of his staff, moved to the Palmetto State.
“USC’s win against No. 1 University of Kentucky was an experience I’ll never forget,” Bunton recalled of his proudest coaching moments. “The celebration after the game was amazing, when the fans stormed the court. Making it to the Sweet 16 at WKU as a coach was a full circle moment from when I made it as a player. We even had some players make it to the NBA. All of it was a great success to me.”
When Horn’s career came to an end with USC in 2012, his desire was to stay in South Carolina. Having dealt with adversity many times before, he bounced back after landing a coaching job at Spring Valley High School. For Bunton, coaching is more than teaching the game of basketball — it’s teaching the game of life.
“You’re molding young men to handle the real world, and sports will definitely teach those life lessons,” said Bunton. “Knowing how to handle adversity and challenges is a superpower, and fortunate for me, I had a coach that taught me those lessons. That’s what I try to do with the kids I coach now.”
While searching for a second job to fit his coaching schedule in 2013, Bunton struck up a conversation with a Richland County Sheriff’s deputy. That conversation led to an application, and he joined the RCSD and served as a deputy until 2023. Needing a change, Bunton began researching the South Carolina Bureau of Protective Services at a friend’s suggestion.
He joined BPS in February 2024 and works in the State Agency Support Division, which provides security for assigned state properties and the general public. He primarily works at the Public Employee Benefits Authority (PEBA) headquarters, interacting with state employees and visitors. And at 6-foot-6, he gets plenty of reactions to his height. “I hear it five or six times a day,” he chuckled.
Despite having no aspirations to become a law enforcement officer in his youth, Bunton now considers his position with BPS a highlight of his career.
“Working at BPS allows me to work a schedule where I can still coach,” he said. “My hours are perfect and I am still able to see my family at night. I’m very thankful for that and I’m glad I made the decision to come to BPS.”
If you are looking for a rewarding law enforcement career in a family-like organization, consider joining Bunton and the BPS team. Browse career opportunities and learn more here: https://scdps.sc.gov/careers/bps.
