Butler County Sports Hall of Fame: Meet 2026 inductee Kelly Coffield
Kelly Coffield enjoyed the best of both worlds — twice.
The 1995 Knoch graduate excelled in volleyball and track and field with the Knights and was named team MVP in both sports. She went on to play volleyball at the University of Pittsburgh, where she also served in student government and on the student advisory board.
All of those accomplishments and more have landed her in the Butler County Sports Hall of Fame.
She will join Brad Mueller, Jence Rhoads, Melinda Rhoads, Jeff Schnur, Mike Seybert and William “Bee” Thoma at an induction ceremony at Butler County Community College’s Founder’s Hall. The ceremony will take place at 6:30 p.m. April 25. Individual tickets ($35) or for tables of eight are available at butlersportshall.com.
Coffield said entering the county hall of fame “is a thrill and I'm grateful to the committee for selecting me. Hard work really does pay off.”
Coffield competed in the 1992 Keystone Games, earning bronze medals in the 200 and 400 meters. She ran the 100, 200 and 400 along with competing in the sprint relays in high school. She ran track every year but her senior year because of a foot injury.
But her first love was volleyball.
“I loved the team aspect of volleyball,” Coffield said. “Working together for a common goal was exciting to me. It's a beautiful sport in that everyone has to do her part for the team to succeed as a whole.”
Knoch finished second in its section to WPIAL powerhouse North Allegheny during all four of Coffield’s high school seasons. Along with being a two-year captain and two-time team MVP, she was named Knoch's best defensive player.
Spurning scholarship offers from Division II schools, Coffield opted for a preferred walk-on opportunity on Pitt’s volleyball team.
“I wanted a shot on the big stage, to see if I could do it,” she said. “I had a long talk with my parents about it. If I didn't earn a scholarship by the end of my freshman year, I would transfer to a smaller school. I couldn't afford to pay for my own education.”
Not only did Coffield earn that scholarship, she wound up starting every Pitt game as a defensive specialist over her four years there. She became a team captain, was a four-time Big East Academic All-Star and became the first female athlete to be named Pitt Senior of the Year in 1999.
Coffield said she had surgery for plantar fasciities in her foot after her freshman season and rehabbed all spring and summer. That provided another opportunity.
“I wasn't sure if I'd be able to play volleyball my sophomore year, so I got involved in student organizations in school and wound up on student government and head of community service,” she said.
The Panthers finished second in the Big East to Notre Dame each year of Coffield’s career.
“Notre Dame was a national power, but we did beat them a couple of times. We never did beat North Allegheny in high school,” Coffield said, laughing. “But, yeah, a lot of second-place finishes.
“Lessons I learned from sports taught me lessons in life. Experiencing what it was like to be part of a team and work together as a team was far more valuable than any wins or losses.”
Coffield has been a world history teacher at Fox Chapel for 26 years. Her husband, Grant, was a punter at Pitt with a soccer background.
Their daughter Ellie played soccer at Pitt and graduated last year. Kelly and Ellie both have their names on the famous “Walk” at the University of Pittsburgh.
Another daughter, Piper, is a sophomore on the Indiana University women's soccer team. A son, Gus, is on the Mars football, bowling and track teams. A second son, Hank, is in fifth grade at Mars and plays hockey and lacrosse.
“We want our kids to dream the biggest dreams for themselves,” Coffield said. “Never be afraid to fail because the more you fail, the stronger you get.”
