After officially being hired in February, new Lyons Township High School varsity softball coach Megan Pyles has hit the ground running.
“Literally the next day I was meeting players for open gym, and going through all of the coaches meetings and the spring sports meeting,” Pyles said. “It’s been a really nonstop process.”
Pyles brings enthusiasm and experience to the Lions, who are coming off their best seasons in recent memory with a senior-led lineup.
In 2022, LTHS was 21-4, earned a share of its first West Suburban Conference Silver title since 1990 and won its first regional since 2017. The Lions reached the IHSA Class 4A Marist Sectional final before losing to the host RedHawks 1-0.
Pyles has been coaching locally in traveling softball with the Under-18 Blazers teams based in Hodgkins and Willow Springs. She was encouraged by Blazers players who attend LTHS to inquire about the opening.
“That’s been a dream of mine since I was little to coach high school softball. It’s a really great program,” Pyles said. “Lots of them are from our [Blazers] program so it’s nice to see some familiar faces and the new ones so I’m really excited for the opportunity.”
Pyles was a four-year varsity player at Evergreen Park High School and played one season at Moraine Valley Community College. She then earned a bachelor’s degree in sports and fitness administration from St. Xavier University.
Steph D’Anna returns as the Lions’ varsity assistant coach. New junior varsity coach Brian Wolf formerly coached the freshmen with Brennan Quick. New freshman coaches are head coach Kylie Maloy, also a Blazers coach, and Jason Kurey.
Pyles appreciates her coaches at Evergreen Park, John O’Connor and former Lewis University player Michelle Vucsko. She hopes to bring their different approaches to her new position.
“I would love for [my players] to be energetic. I’m very big on development from the freshmen up. My main goal is to get equality between all three programs,” Pyles said.
“I really want to create a good culture here where they all have a really good high school experience. With my travel team, a lot of girls come back, they go to different high schools, and they had a really bad high school experience. That’s something I want to alleviate and to have a really positive experience for everyone that comes through this program.”
