Title-winning track coaches step down from PSHS to focus on family
Emma McCauley, who coaches the Philip Simmons High School girls’ track and field team, says being affiliated with the Iron Horse program changed her life.
“We built something bigger than I ever could have imagined: a championship-level program at a school with fewer than 800 students,” McCauley said. “Together, the girls and boys earned 14 region titles, five state runner-up finishes, and seven state championships. We broke school records, sent athletes on to compete collegiately, and left a mark on our school. I’m proud of what we built together.”
That’s why her decision to resign as coach is such a difficult decision. She posted on Facebook Sept. 25 that she and her husband, Ryan, are stepping down as track and field coaches. Michelle “Mo” Santor, Emma’s mother, also resigned as an assistant coach.
It might not be the end of one of South Carolina’s most meteoric rises to success when it comes to high school sports. The Iron Horses experienced all that success in the school’s first nine years of existence.
But for Emma and Ryan, who were named the Class AA coaches of the year by the SCTCCCA in 2026, it was time.
“Ryan, Mo, and I have made the extremely difficult decision to resign as the track and field coaches,” McCauley said. “Coaching is a huge part of who we are, and stepping down is not easy. We are trusting God with what comes next. I believe He will continue to guide these athletes, help them bring the thunder, and keep them united as a team.”
Ryan is an assistant coach on the football team this fall, but Emma, who is an assistant cross country coach, decided to take time off.
The reason? The couple, who considered the student-athletes part of their family, had another addition when they welcomed their daughter, Winifred Lynne McCauley, 7 pounds, 13 ounces, into the world on Aug. 4.
“Every dream we’ve ever had pales in comparison to the beautiful reality of life with our Winnie,” McCauley posted on Facebook. “Thank you, God, for this gift.”
Philip Simmons athletic director Dan Minkin said losing two top-notch coaches was difficult. But he respected their decision.
“The success of the track and field program has been absolutely amazing,” he said. “Look at the number of region championships, the number of state championships we have celebrated in the first nine years. Some schools don’t accomplish that in a lifetime.”
Said McCauley: “It’s a bittersweet feeling knowing in a few years, the trophies and rings our teams earned will collect dust in the back of a closet or garage (along with my abnormally large amount of purple workout clothes). But I feel joy in knowing that the relationships and connections we have built over the years with our athletes can stand the test of time.
“My hope is that maybe one day they will look back and remember the quiet pride after completing the final rep of a hard workout when their legs felt like lead, or the team talk that gave them confidence in themselves,” she added. “The terrifying moment when they failed, only to look up and realize the world didn’t end, or the unexpected friendships they made huddled under our team tent during a random downpour. These are the memories I am choosing to carry with me.”