Nothing But Net: Spotlight on Daniel Cutbirth

Like any good family does, we think all our employee-owners are winners. Every once in a while, though, one of our teammates gives us the chance to show the world just how right we really are. Enter Daniel Cutbirth, a Concrete Foreman from our Springfield team. Daniel has been with Emery Sapp & Sons (ESS) for four and a half years, and he knows a thing or two about teamwork. He attended and played basketball at Evangel University in Springfield from 1998-2002.

During Daniel’s senior year, he led his team to the very first NAIA-II national title in school history. This record-breaking team was coached by Evangel Hall of Famer, Steve Jenkins, and was ranked number 1 in the nation throughout the season before they beat Robert Morris 84-61 in the title game.

“I played with these guys for four years, and every year we got a little bit better. They were a great bunch of guys that really made the experience memorable. We went 35-1 my senior year, so it was definitely a special team,” Daniel shared. “If I had to choose my favorite memories from that time, I’d say it was just being with the guys and hanging out. The battles we had in practice are probably the memories I value the most.”

His prowess on the court during his time at Evangel earned him a spot on Evangel University’s Hall of Fame in 2017. But wait — there’s more. Not only was he inducted into Evangel University’s Hall of Fame, but most recently, his 2001-2002 title-winning team was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. Does this give us bragging rights or what?

After leaving his mark at Evangel, Daniel went on to teach high school and coach basketball for 12 years. Little did he know, a new career was waiting for him at the three-point line. Good friend and current Project Superintendent at ESS, John Treese, came in with the assist and pointed Daniel in our direction. John spoke highly of his career and the people at ESS. Ready to make the switch, Daniel pursued ESS and ultimately landed a spot on the right team.

John Treese shared, “I’ve known Daniel for almost 35 years now, and I can confidently say how proud I know his family and friends are of him. He’s got a great work ethic, and he’s just a good dude. He is so deserving of this honor.” Now, with over four years of crushing it as an employee-owner, Daniel can easily say that his favorite aspect of working here is the people he works with.

Concrete Operations Manager, Steve Bird, said, “I’m very proud of him, and I’m proud he’s a part of the ESS family. He’s a smart guy and an all around good employee-owner. You empower him and he runs with it, and he’s someone I can always trust to get the job done.”

Though Daniel doesn’t find much time these days to play basketball himself, “I’m way too old for that,” he joked, he loves working with his kids to help hone their skills. We couldn’t be more proud of one of our own for such an impressive honor!

• Three-time NAIA All-American
• 2002 NAIA Tournament Most Outstanding Player
• Four-time All-Conference Selection
• HAAC Player of the Year in 2001-02
• HAAC Freshman of the Year in 1998-99
• Helped Evangel to 2001-02 NAIA-II National Championship
• Holds Evangel record for career scoring average at 17.4 points per game
• Holds Evangel career record for free throw percentage
• Ranks third all-time in points scored
• One of just three players to score more than 2,000 points
• Ranks ninth all-time at Evangel in three-pointers made
• Helped Evangel win two conference championships and one postseason tournament title
• During his career, Evangel won 93 games and was 60-16 in conference games