Bates becomes CA Panther

Special to The Canton News 

Jonathan Bates has been named Canton Academy’s (CA) secondary principal, as well as the assistant baseball/football coach and junior high boys basketball coach.

Bates, of Flora, Mississippi, is a 1997 graduate of Tri County Academy. Following high school graduation, he continued his athletic and educational career at Holmes Community College, where he played baseball, and then graduated from Mississippi State University in 2003.

At MSU, Bates worked closely with Ron Polk, Russ McNickle and Darron Schoenrock, the current Auburn pitching coach. He has had ten years of experience at Tri County Academy as a full- and part-time assistant coach for football and baseball and head junior high basketball coach, finishing as 2021 State Football Champions and 2022/2023 District Baseball Champions. 

Bates was selected as 2023 District 3 AAAA Coach of the Year. He also served at Central Holmes in 2011-2013 as head football/baseball coach, athletic director and elementary principal. 

Bates will serve as CA’s secondary principal, assistant baseball/ football coach and junior high boys basketball coach. Coach Bates is the proud father of three boys: Keaton, Sawyer, and Madden. He states that, after much prayer, he is excited for the opportunity to join the Canton Academy family and is looking forward to meeting the faculty, staff and students and being involved in the Canton Academy community.