PANAMA CITY, Fla. — Don Deaton, the longtime Bay High School football coach, athletic director and educator whose influence helped shape generations of student-athletes in Bay County, died Saturday night, Bay High School Athletics announced in a Facebook post.
Deaton spent 35 years coaching in Bay County, building a reputation as one of the area’s most respected coaches and administrators. His impact on Bay High athletics extended well beyond the football field, where he became part of one of the school’s most celebrated eras.
After serving as an assistant coach on Bay High’s 1976 state championship football team — the only football state championship in Bay County history — Deaton succeeded legendary coach John Cobb as the Tornadoes’ head football coach. He later served as the school’s athletic director, overseeing the growth of Bay High’s athletic programs.
Deaton also broke new ground as Bay High’s first girls track and field coach, helping expand opportunities for female student-athletes during the early years of girls’ interscholastic sports.
His contributions to Bay High were formally recognized in 2021 when he was inducted into the Bay High Athletics Hall of Fame.
In announcing his passing, Bay High Athletics described Deaton as a coach, teacher, mentor and leader who dedicated decades of service to the school. The post said his influence stretched far beyond wins and losses, crediting him with teaching “character, discipline, perseverance” while helping shape generations of Tornadoes.
Panama City Mayor Allan Branch also honored Deaton in a social media post, calling him “one of our community’s finest” and a Bay County legend whose legacy cannot be measured by championships or awards alone. Branch said Deaton’s greatest accomplishment was mentoring countless young people and making Bay High and Panama City “better simply by continuing to show up for others.”
Branch also praised the Deaton family for continuing his example of service through coaching, mentoring and volunteer work, saying Deaton’s legacy will live on through both his family and the generations of student-athletes whose lives he impacted.
Deaton is survived by his wife, Carol Deaton, and sons, Mark and David Deaton, who continue the family’s coaching tradition as leaders of Bay High’s wrestling program.
“Once a Tornado, always a Tornado,” Bay High Athletics said in its tribute. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Deaton family during this difficult time.”
Funeral services will be held Saturday, July 18, at Kent-Forest Lawn Funeral Home.
Adebanji Bamidele is a sports reporter for the Panama City News Herald. He can be reached at abamidele@gannett.com or through X, formerly known as Twitter, @AdebanjiBamide1.
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Bay County mourns legendary coach Don Deaton
