March 4, 2025
Former NBA Player Pat Burke Announced As Beacon College’s New Men’s Head Basketball Coach
By Kyle Coppola
Former NBA Player Pat Burke Announced As Beacon College’s New Men’s Head Basketball Coach
Leesburg, FL – Pat Burke will be replacing outgoing men’s basketball head coach Sam Vincent who announced that he will not be returning to the Blazers program next year. Vincent, Beacon’s founding men’s basketball coach, is leaving to pursue a position with the Basketball Africa League, as reported by ESPN. Coach Vincent, who is a former NBA Champion brought success to the Blazers program the past few years and built a great foundation for the future. Coach Burke brings extensive experience and a proven track record of success to Beacon College, the nation’s first accredited baccalaureate institution dedicated to educating students with learning and attention issues.
Burke, who made history as the first Irish-born player in the National Basketball Association, enjoyed a 12-year professional basketball career, beginning with the Orlando Magic in 2002. His career includes six championship titles across the NBA, FIBA leagues, and Ireland’s senior men’s team.
(Pat Burke was a 6’11” Center-Forward and played with Orlando, Phoenix and played his college ball at Auburn. Photo Credit – National Basketball Legends Retired Players Association.)
“Pat brings a wealth of experience in education, mentorship, and athletics,” said Dana Manzo, vice president of student affairs. “Beyond his career in professional basketball, Pat has dedicated himself to mentoring and youth development. His passion for education, leadership, and community engagement makes him a fantastic addition to our team.”
Before joining Beacon, Burke founded HoopsLife, a youth development program focused on empowering children with leadership and life skills by emphasizing the impact of their choices. His dedication to mentorship aligns perfectly with Beacon College’s mission to foster holistic student development.
Burke’s connection to Beacon began a decade ago when he consulted on the launch of a summer program for international students. This collaboration led to a successful three-week program for Saudi students on Beacon’s campus in 2015.
“Pat’s prior contributions to our community and his proven ability to connect with and inspire young people are invaluable,” said Beacon College President George Hagerty. “We are confident that his leadership will elevate our athletics program and provide our student-athletes with unparalleled opportunities for growth and success.”
About Beacon College
Founded in 1989, Beacon College is the first accredited baccalaureate institution dedicated to educating students with learning disabilities, ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning differences. Recognized nationally for its innovative approach, Beacon provides a supportive and forward-thinking environment, offering multiple degree programs and specialized services for neurodivergent students to thrive in a global economy.
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.
