Coach Willie Coats is a renowned versatile championship high school and community college coach whose career spanned 41 years. Coach Coats is native of Stonewall, who was an All-State quarterback and safety from 1952 to 1955 and played in the 1955 Bernard Blackwell All-Star game. He was a four-year letterman in three sports and was an honorable mention high school All American player whose teams were undefeated in 1952 and 1953 and suffered only one loss in 1954. He lettered as quarterback and safety at Southern Miss from 1955 to 1960 and played on 1958 squad that was undefeated and named Small College National Champion. He then played one season of professional baseball with Chicago Cubs and helped the team win a minor league title. His 41-year coaching career began in 1960 with stints at Clara, Seminary, Lumberton, East Central Community College, Decatur, Quitman, Delta State, Hattiesburg, Pearl River Community College, Newton Academy, and Choctaw Centra. He coached football, basketball, baseball, track, and taught social studies and physical education. Coach Coats led Decatur High in 1978 to 11-0 record and state football championship. He was an eight-time Coach of the Year in four different sports. He guided Hattiesburg and East Central CC to conference titles and bowl appearances and coached Pearl River CC to South State crown. His football teams had a record of 166-102-3. He was inducted into the East Central CC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001 and into the Southern Miss Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002.