March 3, 2025
A.J. Bryant’s Passion for Coaching and Community Fuels South Sumter Basketball
By Kyle Coppola
A.J. Bryant’s Passion for Coaching and Community Fuels South Sumter Basketball
South Sumter High School’s red and white run deep in A.J. Bryant, who is one of the most recognizable people in and around Bushnell.
Bryant, who graduated in 2001, has spent the past 11 years as head basketball coach for the South Sumter Raiders, a program he led to greatness through trials and tribulations.
Bryant excelled in both basketball and football during his time at South Sumter, especially football. His talent on the gridiron earned him a scholarship to Georgia Southern University, where he had a successful college career.
Despite his achievements in football, basketball remained close to his heart.
“After I finished school, I came back to South Sumter because it was always home,” Bryant says. “My parents and I had a ton of family here, so if I was going to coach, it was only logical that it was going to be here.”
Bryant started out coaching the girls’ basketball team, which included his younger sister, Latasha Kennerson.
“She was a freshman the day I started, so I got to coach her,” he shares.
Latasha had a record-setting career, scoring over 1,800 points. She remains South Sumter’s all-time leading scorer.
Bryant later transitioned to boys’ basketball. He initially served as an assistant coach under Gary Russo. When the head coaching position became available in 2014, he eagerly stepped into the role.
“It was something I truly wanted,” he says. “There is nothing like getting to coach for your former school as an alumnus.”
South Sumter High, with its old-school charm, holds a special place in Bryant’s heart.
“It’s great to see kids who start in our youth program stay with the programs,” he notes. “We’re an old school tight-knit community. While kids are quick to leave schools today, we know our kids 90% of the time are going to stay. Their parents and grandparents went to school here. It’s amazing to have that kind of loyalty in a day when sports have become fairly disloyal.”
This commitment to community encompasses so much. Bryant has invested his own time and resources to improve the program, even reupholstering team chairs with the South Sumter Raider logo. It’s that kind of commitment and hometown feel that makes Bryant loved by so many in the community.
Bryant’s influence isn’t limited to basketball. As a teacher, he’s deeply involved in his players’ lives, both academically and personally.
“If they have problems, they call me,” he says. “It’s not just basketball; education is a whole other realm. I see a different side of them in the classroom and that makes for a unique environment, but I love it.”
Unlike many programs where coaches are not employed at the school, South Sumter’s coaches are deeply integrated into the educational structure, strengthening the small-town connection that Bryant cherishes.
Bryant’s innovative spirit has propelled the program to new heights, even in the face of challenges. For nearly eight years, the high school team lacked access to a gym during the summer, as the facility was given to the city for youth programs. To ensure his team’s development, Bryant created the “Raider Road Show,” a summer initiative where the team traveled across the Southeast, playing 62 games in June alone.
“It’s not only helped us improve but strengthened the bonds of the players,” he explains. “When football ends on Friday, we’re off and rolling on Monday because we’ve already practiced together all summer.”
Bryant even went so far as to obtain his Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), so he’d be able to drive the team to games.
“It’s just one of those things you do for the kids,” he says with a sincere smile.
As a varsity boys coach, Bryant emphasizes grit and determination.
“I like to preach being a dog,” he says. “I can teach the X’s and O’s, but you need the drive to dominate others. We’re not always the most basketball-savvy team, but we’re super athletic.
You’ve got to have some dog in you, and we get after it the way we know how.”
Bryant’s commitment to South Sumter extends beyond basketball. This year, he organized a community bike drive, distributing 20 bikes to local children.
“It’s all about community efforts,” Bryant says. “That’s what South Sumter High is built upon. We have a motto here which is Tradition Never Graduates. It warms my heart to see so many people give back once they graduate from this school.”
Photos: Matthew Gaulin
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.
