Already a member of the Salem Sports Hall of Fame as a player on the 1977 Lady Wildcats volleyball team, Mary (Pitts) Brimberry earned individual selection through a stellar coaching career at South Central High School.

At the time of her induction, Brimberry had spent 23 seasons on the sideline as the Lady Cougars volleyball coach. Brimberry began her stint in 1994 and during her coaching run she has compiled a record of 547-177, a highly impressive .756 winning percentage. Her teams have compiled 17 20-win seasons, three 30-win seasons, and ten Class A/Class 1A regional championships. Her 2004 team won a school record 34 games, while her 2011 team won the program’s first sectional championship and advanced to the Class 1A Elite Eight. Prior to the school’s move to the National Trail Conference, Brimberry’s teams won nine Midland Trail Conference regular season championships and ten MTC Tournament titles. Only once in those 23 years with Brimberry at the helm has South Central had a losing season.

Brimberry has also been a winner off the court as she overcame a battle with cancer that forced her to miss the 2014 volleyball season. She returned to the court in 2015.

Also during her time at South Central Brimberry has served as head softball coach and assistant girls’ basketball coach.

A 1978 graduate Salem Community High School graduate, Brimberry played volleyball softball and track for the Lady Wildcats. Brimberry was named the Lady Wildcats Most Valuable Player for the 1978 softball season.

Brimberry continued her athletic career and education at Kaskaskia College where she played softball and volleyball for the Blue Angels from 1978-1980. Brimberry completed her education at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.

After she completed her education Brimberry returned to Salem Area where she assisted the Salem Recreation Department with multiple sports. It was also in the Salem area where Brimberry began her coaching career at the grade school level as she coached volleyball for three seasons at St. Theresa and two seasons at Selmaville.

Besides her long-time duty as volleyball coach at South Central, Brimberry serves as a special education teacher. She has also served as student council sponsor and FCA sponsor at South Central.