By Kyle Coppola
South Sumter High Welcomes Eoghan Cullen As Offensive Line Coach
BUSHNELL, Fla. — Eoghan Cullen, a seasoned high school football coach and Army Veteran, is taking the reins as South Sumter High School’s new offensive line coach, marking another chapter in his storied coaching career. Cullen, whose coaching journey has taken him across Central Florida, brings a wealth of experience and a passion for the game that resonates with players and colleagues alike.
Cullen’s most recent stop was at Forest High School in Ocala, where he served on the coaching staff for several years. It was a familiar place for Cullen, who started his coaching career there as an assistant from 2017 to 2019 before moving on to a head coaching position at Lake Weir High School. South Sumter offers a great opportunity for Cullen who who served in the U.S. Army serving for 17-years as an infantryman and did two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan retiring in 2014.
(Coach Cullen was the former Lake Weir High head coach.)
Cullen knows a thing or two about winning. He played for the Lakeland Dreadnaughts during his high school days and won an FHSAA State Championship in 1996.
Now, he’s ready to tackle a new challenge with the South Sumter Raiders, a program with a strong football tradition. Cullen’s expertise in developing offensive linemen and his commitment to fostering a winning culture are expected to make a significant impact. South Sumter is coming off a big year and just sent five players to NCAA Division 1 programs recently.
Cullen’s coaching journey is rooted in a family legacy of hard work and resilience. His parents, William and Frances Cullen, immigrated to the United States from Ireland in 1979 in search of new opportunities. Settling in Miami, they raised four sons, with Eoghan being the third.
“They were hard workers, and they never missed a day of work,” Cullen recalled. “That’s something they instilled in me from an early age.”
(Most Recently coach Cullen coached at Forest High in Ocala.)
Cullen’s upbringing in a hardworking household shaped his coaching philosophy, emphasizing discipline, dedication, and building strong relationships both on and off the field. Those values have been evident throughout his career and will undoubtedly guide his work at South Sumter.
For Cullen, joining South Sumter isn’t just about football—it’s about continuing to mentor young athletes and help them succeed in the game of life. As the Raiders gear up for the upcoming season in 2025, Cullen’s leadership promises to bolster an already formidable program that made a jump up to Class 3A in 2024. Last year South Sumter had one of the toughest schedule’s in the state ultimately finishing 4-6 on the year.
We are excited to see what Cullen can accomplish at South Sumter! Great to have him in Lake County! Welcome
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.
