PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) is inducting seven new members into its Hall of Fame this weekend. Among the inductees is Nease High School tennis head coach Michael Kypriss, who will become a three-time Hall of Famer after being previously honored by both the Florida Athletic Coaches Association and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association.
"I'll be 70 years old in April, and I don't even feel that," Kypriss said. "I think it has a lot to do with being around young people, and the game of tennis keeps you strong."
Kypriss has been coaching high school tennis for 43 years, with a remarkable career record of 1,305 wins and only 68 losses. During that time, he has led his teams to 17 FHSAA State Championships—11 in girls tennis and six in boys tennis. His teams have also earned 14 state runner-up finishes and 28 regional titles.
Despite coaching tennis for more than half his life, Kypriss’s journey in sports didn’t start on the tennis court.
"Originally, I was a football player. I played quarterback at the University of Kentucky. I loved tennis as a junior, but my father wouldn't allow me to play it. He didn't feel tennis was the sport at that time," Kypriss explained. Kypriss’s football career ended with a devastating injury, but his transition to tennis proved more than successful.
Throughout his coaching career, Kypriss has made a significant impact beyond winning titles. He has helped more than 250 athletes earn Division I and II tennis scholarships, and he has coached 35 high school All-Americans. His legacy includes not just state titles but developing players into collegiate athletes and productive citizens.
"Besides their parents and family, I’m with them a lot of hours during the week. So I’ve got to set the example with discipline, hard work, and making sure they’re doing the right thing," Kypriss said.
One standout player Kypriss coached is Jean-Julien Rojer, a four-time Grand Slam doubles champion who played at UCLA and currently competes on the ATP Tour. Rojer, who lived with Kypriss as a teenager, won two French Open titles (2014 in mixed doubles, 2022 in men’s doubles), Wimbledon in 2015, and the US Open in 2017.
Kypriss’s influence extends to other professional players and coaches, including Jack Brasington, a former No. 113 ATP Tour player who is now the head coach at St. Thomas University in Houston, and Paige Yaroshuk Tews, a former WTA player and now the head women’s tennis coach at the University of Miami.
In addition to his coaching success, Kypriss has been recognized as the NHSACA Tennis Coach of the Year twice and the Florida Dairy Farmers Tennis Coach of the Year six times. His accolades also include the Miami Herald Lifetime Achievement Award, among other prestigious honors.
Kypriss’s induction into the FHSAA Hall of Fame this weekend is the latest in a series of honors that underscore his impact on the sport and the lives of countless young athletes.
"Those are the juniors I coached, and we would say they made it," Kypriss said. "But what makes me most proud are the hundreds of kids who’ve gone to college, furthered their education, and become productive citizens."