Don Bates was born in Hartford, a former New Britain resident, moving to Berlin in 1951. He taught mathematics at Berlin High school for thirty years, retiring in 1981. He was the golf coach for 39 years retiring from that position in 1992. His teams won four consecutive state championships starting in 1987, and also won 19 league championships. He 1977 he was named National High School Golf Coach of the Year.

Bates never had a losing season in his 39 years as coach of the golf team, but he was always quick to credit his players. His coaching philosophy, combined with his own extraordinary golfing talent, and dozens of students with skill netted the coaching veteran 626 career wins becoming the winningest high school coach in the nation and in 1991 was selected as coach of the year by the Connecticut Sportswriters Alliance.

Bates was a four-time Shuttle Meadow Country club Champion and was instrumental in the building of Timberlin golf course, serving on its greens committee for 32 years. He was also a member of the Connecticut High School Coaches association.

Coach Bates passed away on January 7, 1993. For those that knew him, those 600-plus victories are dwarfed by the positive influence he had on hundreds of young men who were fortunate to learn from him about the game, and life.