DANVERS — Peabody resident Mark Metropolis, a former electronics teacher at Peabody High, has announced his retirement as head coach of the varsity tennis program at St. John’s Prep after 35 seasons.
A member of the St. John’s Prep Hall of Fame (2010), Metropolis was hired to coach the Prep tennis team in 1990. He guided the Eagles to six MIAA state championships, the last two coming in 2024 and 2025, when the team posted perfect 22-0 seasons.
Metropolis is going out on top on the heels of a 44-match win streak.
“I don’t look at it as going out on top. I look at it as leaving after a great career,” Metropolis said. “Regardless, I would have left anyway, as it was time to go. We accomplished a lot of things, and I really enjoyed coaching the game as I had played it my entire life. The kids got better and became good people. It was great to watch them prosper. They still email and text me to keep me updated. I feel so fortunate to see some of these kids I haven’t seen for a while come back to watch our matches.”
Under his guidance, the Eagles also collected six MIAA North sectional crowns. During his tenure, the team never had a losing record, winning 31 Catholic Conference championships and compiling a 538-118 record.
Along the way, many St. John’s Prep athletes captured individual state tournament titles. Three former players are members of the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame, and countless others have gone on to play at the collegiate level — the most recent being twins Jack and Luke Prokopis of Lynnfield, who are freshmen on the Division I College of the Holy Cross men’s team.
Prior to arriving at the Prep, Metropolis spent two years coaching boys tennis at Pingree. He spent 35 years as a football referee, mainly in the Independent School League and Northeastern Conference. He also spent 37 years as a basketball referee and 25 years coaching basketball in Peabody — from the youth ranks up to Higgins Middle School and Peabody High, where he coached the varsity team in the 1990s.
One of the players Metropolis coached at Peabody High was Mayor Ted Bettencourt, Jr., who went on to excel at Division 1 Holy Cross.
“Coach Metropolis has had an amazing coaching career,” Bettencourt said. “He’s an extremely well-known person in Peabody and has contributed greatly in so many ways to our high school and its students.”
In an Oct. 7 announcement, Prep athletic director Jameson Pelkey said, “Coach Metropolis embodied the mission of St. John’s Prep in every sense. His impact will be felt for decades, not only in the trophies won and matches played, but in the lives of the countless young men he guided with integrity, humility and care. His legacy is one of excellence and of living out the values that define our community.”
Metropolis said he was fortunate to have kids come to the Prep who already played the game at a high level.
“They already knew how to play tennis. I didn’t have to teach forehands or backhands and got to coach the strategies,” Metropolis said. “Kids wanted to play at the Prep. We always played a tough schedule, and every match we were playing USTA (U.S. Tennis Association) kids, so that made kids really want to come to the Prep. Plus, they knew they were getting a great education and teammates to hit against at practice every day.”
The announcement noted Metropolis’ “record of excellence that is unparalleled in Massachusetts high school tennis and a legacy that will inspire generations. He challenged his players to grow not only as competitors, but also as scholars and leaders, consistently reminding them that tennis was a classroom for life lessons in perseverance, teamwork and integrity. His passion for the game was matched only by his dedication to teaching values that extend far beyond the court.”
One of his favorite memories at the Prep was a post-championship pizza tradition Metropolis began years ago.
“Every time we won the league or states, we went out to eat,” Metropolis said. “It was a lot of fun. If we won at Catholic Memorial, we went to Tony’s. If we won at BC High, we went to Santarpio’s. If we lost, we had a long drive home — but we rarely lost, so I guess I probably put on some weight. It was a lot of fun. Those kids worked very hard for me, so it was nice to be able to celebrate their accomplishments.”
Another special memory came after the Eagles won the 2025 Division I state championship.
“They (MIAA) wouldn’t allow anyone to park a van or bus near the MIT courts, so we had to park about a mile away,” Metropolis said. “The matches ran very late, and it was dark. But nobody remembered where we parked the van, so we were basically wandering through the streets of Cambridge with the trophy trying to find it so we could go to dinner. It was actually pretty funny.”
Metropolis said he’s not sure what retirement will bring, but he hopes to travel and stay active with some investment properties he owns.
“This is my second retirement, having already retired from teaching,” Metropolis said. “I’m going to see what it’s like to have springs off and maybe spend some time in Florida with a sister who lives in Delray Beach. After 35 years teaching at Peabody High and now 37 total years coaching tennis, I’m looking forward to whatever comes my way.”
