The Lancaster Central School District appointed Eric Rupp as the district’s Director of Athletics, formalizing a role he has held for the last two school years.
Rupp has served in the role as a Teacher on Special Assignment since 2021, and the Board of Education’s appointment during their meeting on August 28 formally makes Rupp a member of the district’s administration.
“Mr. Rupp has an incredible skill set,” said Andrew Krazmien, Director of Secondary Education. “He's highly organized, he's principled, he's a very clear and effective communicator, but above all of this, he's committed to the student-athletes and their success both on and off the field.”
Rupp, a third-generation Lancaster student, graduated from Lancaster High School in 2002. After starting as a volunteer football coach in 2009, Rupp was hired as varsity football coach in 2016. He also became a social studies teacher at Lancaster High School in 2018.
“I can confidently say I wouldn't be the person I am today if I hadn't come through the school and played sports here,” Rupp told the Board of Education. “So I'm very honored to carry on the tradition and I'm going to work really hard to make sure I always operate in the best interest of our student-athletes.”
Rupp, who will be coaching football this season, said he was inspired as a student by longtime football coach, teacher and Athletic Director Len Jankiewicz, who taught him to live a life with a purpose of serving others.
“I think coaching is teaching, just in a different context,” Rupp said. “Obviously, you are responsible for teaching a specific set of skills to your student athletes - depending on the sport - but in reality, you have the opportunity to teach them so much more...how to overcome adversity, discipline, work hard, and teaching them how to work with people (who may be different than you) for a common goal."
The Lancaster Central School District offers teams in 29 different sports, and student-athletes in the district have found success both on and off the field of play in the last year. This includes the recognition of Lancaster High School as a School of Distinction by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association, meaning every varsity team carried a cumulative GPA of over 90 percent.
