By Kyle Coppola
Mary McCann to be Inducted into East Ridge Hall of Fame
East Ridge High School has announced that legendary coach and educator Mary McCann will be inducted into the East Ridge Hall of Fame on Thursday, October 30. The ceremony will take place during halftime of the East Ridge football game against Tavares, as the school honors a career dedicated to excellence, integrity and the development of student-athletes.
Mary’s coaching journey began in 1980 and spanned over three decades, five high schools and three states. Her career was defined not only by championships and accolades, but by the countless lives she impacted through her leadership, compassion, and unwavering commitment to her students.
Her early coaching years included a standout tenure at Goodland High School in Kansas, where she led the volleyball team to a conference championship and a Kansas State Tournament appearance in 1984. In 1988, she moved to Florida and began coaching volleyball and softball at Clermont High School, guiding her teams to five district championships.
From 1993 to 1998, Mary served in multiple roles at Mount Dora Middle School, including teacher, athletic director, and intramural director. She also began a 20-year career as a high school volleyball official during this time.
Her legacy continued to grow at South Lake High School, where she led the volleyball program from 1998, capturing district and regional titles and achieving a historic Final Four appearance in 2001. She also coached softball during her tenure there, always emphasizing fundamentals, teamwork, and sportsmanship.
In 2002, Mary became a foundational part of the East Ridge High School athletic community. As the head volleyball coach, she led her teams to two district championships, a regional championship, and a State Tournament appearance in 2003, one of only three team sports in East Ridge history to reach the state final four. She later returned to the softball program in 2012, guiding the team to a district title and serving as co-athletic director, further shaping the school’s athletic legacy.
Mary’s approach to coaching was always grounded in values that went beyond the scoreboard. She credits her own mentors for teaching her that true success lies in character development and leadership. She believed in instilling confidence, building character, fostering teamwork, and teaching respect for teammates, opponents, and the game itself. Her athletes remember her not just as a coach, but as a role model who taught them to believe in themselves, respect the game, and play with heart.
The East Ridge Hall of Fame induction is a fitting tribute to a woman whose impact on Lake County athletics will be felt for generations. As the community gathers to celebrate on October 30, Mary McCann’s name will take its rightful place among the school’s most honored figures.
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.
