The Long Island wrestling and football communities are mourning the loss of beloved coach Randel “Rans” McCoy, who passed away at 40 after a long battle with ALS.
Born in 1985 and raised in Huntington Station, New York, Randel grew up in a small house with his older brother Tahid.
Their mother, Evelyn McCoy, a hairdresser who meant the world to them, died tragically in January 1994 at the age of 36.
After losing her, the boys were raised by their grandmother and uncle. Even as a kid, Randel had that spark.
Randel became a multi-sport standout in High School
At Huntington High School, he became a standout multi-sport athlete for the Blue Devils, most famously wearing number 20 as a hard-running football captain in the early 2000s.
People still talk about the Sayville game where he sat out the first half, came out cold, and then exploded for around 170 yards and three touchdowns like he had been saving everything for the second half.
That was Randel. You could slow him down, but you could never stop him.
After high school, he studied at Five Towns College and later poured everything he had into coaching and teaching kids.
He worked as a teacher’s aide and coached both football and wrestling at Cold Spring Harbor High School.
That’s also where he met the love of his life, Brianna LaFontaine, a special education teacher and the daughter of New York Islanders legend and Hockey Hall of Famer Pat LaFontaine.
They were introduced by a mutual friend, quickly became inseparable, and got married in a beautiful ceremony surrounded by family and the many lives they had both touched.
In February 2018, when he was 33, Randel was diagnosed with ALS, the cruel degenerative disease also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease that slowly takes away the ability to move, speak, and eventually breathe.
At the time, he was still coaching every day and being the same larger-than-life Coach McCoy the kids adored.
The diagnosis shocked everyone, but Randel refused to disappear. He kept showing up to practices and games as long as he possibly could.
The community rallied around him with fundraisers like “Wrestle for Rans” and “Takedown ALS,” and a GoFundMe helped the family with mounting medical bills.
Even when the disease took his voice and his movement, his spirit stayed huge. He inspired an entire island.
He is survived by his wife, Brianna, his brother Tahid, and a large extended family that includes many cousins who looked up to him.
His mother, Evelyn, preceded him in death.
Tributes have come in from all over Long Island.
Vic Hernandez wrote on the Long Island Football History page:
“Some stories you never stop telling, and Randel ‘Rans’ McCoy is one of them… Every time a kid laces up and believes they can flip a game in one half, that’s Rans. Rest in peace, Randel McCoy. Blue Devil for life, coach forever.”
Via Facebook
Lacrosse Island called him “a legend in Huntington who fought a courageous battle against ALS” and sent prayers to Brianna and the Cold Spring Harbor and Huntington communities, where he left such a huge legacy.
His cousin Khadijah McCoy posted through tears:
“I’m going to miss you Rance. I Love You Cuz!! Heartbroken is an understatement!! #McCoyStrong Rest Easy Cuz I know Aunty Evelyn embraced you with open arms.”
Via Facebook
Former coach and friend Ron E. Wilson shared a long, emotional goodbye that ended with “Rest easy, till we meet again! God bless you, Randel McCoy!”
Randel McCoy’s death leaves a hole that won’t be filled, but his story will keep lifting people for years.
He taught everyone who knew him that real strength isn’t just about carrying a football or pinning an opponent, it’s about showing up, smiling through the hardest days, and making the people around you better.
Rest in peace, Coach Rans. Long Island will never forget you.
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