On Monday, Pike Liberal Arts School announced that former Pike Patriot and Troy Trojan Max Copeland had been hired as the school’s new head peewee football coach.

Copeland graduated from PLAS and was a star player for the Patriot football team. He earned AISA All-State honorable mention as a senior and recorded 179 tackles and three interceptions in 2018. Copeland also played basketball and baseball at Pike and was named the 2019 NAAPS Student Athlete of the Year.

Copeland played college football at Troy. (Submitted photo)

Copeland went on to play college football at Troy University from 2019 through the 2021 season. Now, Copeland returns to PLAS to lead the school’s peewee youth football program.

“I am blessed and excited to have the opportunity to work with the next generation of great Pike athletes,” Copeland said in a statement. “Pike holds a special place in my heart and I am excited to be a part of maintaining the success of Pike Athletics. I look forward to working hard everyday to teach our players the skills that will make them successful on the field, in the classroom and in life.”

New PLAS head football coach Travis Baxley said the school was excited for Copeland to return to his alma mater.

“We are very excited to have Coach Copeland join the staff here at Pike Liberal Arts School,” Baxley said. “He brings great leadership and great character that will have a great impact on our young athletes here at Pike.”

PLAS Head of School Eric Burkett shared in Baxley’s excitement for Copeland “returning home.”

“I am very excited to have Coach Copeland back at Pike Lib,” Burkett said. “Coach Copeland is a great role model in both athletic and character development for these young athletes. I have no doubt that he will lead our peewee football team to success, both on and off the field.”