November 12, 2024
Umatilla High Football Coach Eric Samuels Named Style Magazine SSAA Coach Of The Year
By Kyle Coppola
Umatilla High Football Coach Eric Samuels Named Style Magazine SSAA Coach Of The Year
UMATILLA, Fla. — Umatilla High School’s head football coach, Eric Samuels, has been named the 2024 SSAA Coach of the Year after leading a remarkable turnaround in just his second season at the helm. Samuels, a proud Umatilla High graduate, returned to coach his alma mater in 2023. Despite winning only two games in his first season and missing the playoffs, Samuels instilled a new culture of dedication and resilience that quickly paid dividends leading to a 6-5 record.
In 2024, Umatilla High fought its way to the brink of the SSAA Atlantic State Championship, falling just short in a narrow 21-19 loss to Space Coast in the semifinals last Friday night. Samuels’ impact on the team has been undeniable, marked by an intense commitment to rebuilding the program and developing his players. Coach Samuels went 0-10 his senior season. Despite that he went on to have a fantastic college career at Vanderbilt University and played professional football in the CFL.
(Coach Samuels returned playoff football to Umatilla High School for the first time in a decade. There is plenty to build upon for the second-year head coach.)
From the moment I met Eric Samuels last year, I knew that he had a great vision for the future of Umatilla High Football. I could just see it in his eyes that he had what it was going to take. “The key is getting the players and staff to believe in winning again. We are reigniting that tradition at Umatilla High.” said Eric Samuels in a recent interview with us. That’s exactly what Umatilla High has been doing within their athletics department and it’s been a big success for them.
While they no longer play in the FHSAA, the SSAA which is the Sunshine State Athletic Association provides a more level playing field for many schools in Florida. Joining the SSAA allows them to compete for a championship when that would more than likely not prove possible in the FHSAA. Umatilla High joined MDCA and FA-Leesburg as the 11-man programs in the SSAA.
The players instantly bought into the system Eric Samuels was preaching and that paid off during the season. To watch the program literally rise to the heights it did this year including hosting the first playoff game in 10 years, was a fantastic thing for Lake County athletics. They even got the first playoff win at home for Umatilla win well over two decades so this was a huge success for everyone involved.
Under Samuels’ leadership, Umatilla High is now on the radar as a rising contender in Florida high school football and the SSAA. Congratulations to coach Eric Samuels for leading an amazing program this year. We will also miss all the players who made an impact including Josh Wilson and Dallas Cottle who were standout seniors this year. While they will be missed Umatilla High has some encouraging players they will bring back next season. Hopefully they will once again compete for a State Championship in 2025.
Also a shoutout to fellow SSAA coaches for honorable mentions – MDCA’s Kolby Tackett and FA-Leesburg’s Cahn Bui
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
