Weeki Wachee athletic director Patrick McHugh earns statewide honor

Patrick McHugh’s statewide honor reflected more than a polished athletics office at Weeki Wachee High School. The Florida Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association named him Section 2 Athletic Administrator of the Year, placing the Hernando County athletic director among just four sectional winners across Florida and signaling that his work has changed how Hornets athletics functions on campus and in the community.

The award is reserved for athletic administrators with at least three years of experience who have shown involvement in their school, community and professional organizations beyond day-to-day duties. At Weeki Wachee, that standard lined up with a run of visible results: the school hosted the FHSAA 1A Region 2 wrestling tournament on Feb. 27-28, drawing four Hernando County schools, Hernando, Weeki Wachee, Central and Nature Coast, along with 29 other teams from around the state for 33 teams total. The Hornets also expanded their Special Olympics event into a countywide gathering of about 130 athletes in its third year, far beyond the original two-school format.

District athletic director Dustin Kupcik cited McHugh’s overall program success, his work hosting conference, district and regional events, and his use of district-wide tools such as athletic trainer programs and SportsYou. Kupcik also pointed to McHugh’s effort to bring games into the school setting as PBIS events, a move that tied athletics more closely to student engagement and school pride. FIAAA’s 2026 awards list also noted Kupcik received a State Award of Merit.

McHugh has led Hornets athletics for seven years, long enough to shape the school’s event calendar and build a broader profile for the department. The honor was announced May 3 and presented in May at the association’s 48th annual conference during the Hall of Fame and Awards Banquet in Orlando. McHugh said the news was an incredible feeling and that his first reaction was to share it with his wife and kids, underscoring how much the recognition meant at home as well as at school.

Another local report had already singled out McHugh for earning his Certified Athletic Administrator designation from the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, adding another credential to a profile that has steadily grown with the program he oversees. For Weeki Wachee, the award puts a state seal on work that has already shown up in packed gyms, expanded events and a stronger Hornets presence across Hernando County.