May 23, 2025
Eustis Softball Coach Tyra Bowers Named FHSAA Class 3A Lake County Coach of the Year
By Kyle Coppola
Eustis Softball Coach Tyra Bowers Named FHSAA Class 3A Lake County Coach of the Year
EUSTIS, Fla. — In her debut season as head coach of the Eustis High School softball program, Tyra Bowers led the Lady Panthers to a fantastic run that culminated in a berth in the FHSAA Class 3A State Championship game. The Panthers ultimately fell to Somerset Charter in the title matchup, finishing as state runner-up with an impressive 23-5 record.
Bowers, a former standout at Eustis High in the mid-to-late 2010s and a graduate of Florida A&M University, took over the program in late 2024 following the departure of former head coach Brittany Beall, who accepted the head coaching position at FAMU.
(Coach Bowers was welcomed with open arms by the players and staff as head coach this season. The team as a whole did an amazing job. You don’t always get a smooth transition with different head coaches but with coach Bowers it was as good as could possibly be.)
Despite being a first-year head coach, Bowers quickly demonstrated her leadership and strategic prowess guiding Eustis through a season full of firsts: first win, first winning streak, first district title, first regional title, and a first trip to the state championship game as a head coach.
She’s calculated, she’s smart, and she knows exactly how to motivate her players. Talking to Coach Bowers reminds you a lot of talking to Coach Beall. And rightfully so, she had the chance to be coached by one of the best and coach Bowers is a star in the making that is for sure.
(Coach Tyra Bowers after she got a Gatorade Bath after her first FHSAA Regional Championship win as a head coach.)
Following the state title game, Bowers offered heartfelt gratitude to her players.
“Thank you for allowing me to be your coach,” Bowers said. “I am so proud of all of you. It was a great season and I am thankful for this opportunity.”
With a 23-5 record in her inaugural campaign, Bowers has laid a strong foundation for the future of the Lady Panthers program. We are eager to see what this program looks like in the coming years. It’s been over a decade since Eustis High Softball has had a new coach, but one thing is for certain. The Tyra Bowers era is off to a flying start. Congratulations!
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.
