Respected Beach District Football Coaches Unexpectedly Pass Away
Less than 48 hours after the completion of the Bayside Marlins 2025 football campaign, the Virginia Beach program shockingly lost its leader.
Jonathan White – who coached the Marlins to a 78-60 overall record in 13 seasons at the helm – unexpectedly passed away this past weekend.
“This is devastating news for our school and community,” Bayside Principal Troy Walton shared with VirginiaPreps.com. “We appreciate all the prayers for the family and his players.”
White, 43, is survived by his wife, Shameia, and two teenage boys; Aric and Tory.
Bayside High School’s social media account posted the tragic news on Monday, in loving memory of Coach White.
“He was a true Marlin – dedicated, caring and committed. His impact will always be remembered.”
People all across the Hampton Roads community were stunned, including the man that White took over for at Bayside in 2013, Darnell Moore.
“I’m sure this is just as much a shock to everybody else as it is me. If you knew Jon, you’d think of him being the guy who’s in ultimate health, always working out, running, eating right and things of that nature. You wish that you had that guy’s drive and not just about working out either. It almost seemed as if he did everything at full speed, 100 miles per hour. He had to be the original energizer bunny,” commented Moore, who brought White back to his alma mater as an assistant in 2008.
With White on staff as the defensive coordinator, Bayside captured the Eastern Region Division 6 Championship in 2010 and made the State Semis for the first time in school history. His steadfast approach to life went far beyond the game of football and made him so treasured, Moore believes.
“A great example and a great role model for kids. Sometimes, it’s not always what you do that stands out with kids or what you say that stands out with kids. It’s the things that they see you do when you don’t even know that they’re looking at you,” Moore pointed out.
“A lot of times, kids will be looking to see if someone is going to act differently or say something in that situation. But Jon was who he was when you were looking or when you were not looking.”
White was an All-Beach linebacker for the Marlins in 1999, helping them capture a district title. From there, he continued his career in college at nearby Hampton University before getting into coaching at Cox High School in Virginia Beach.
At Bayside, White played for Robert Jackson, currently the Head Football Coach at Landstown High in Virginia Beach.
“When I first met Jon, he was a slim, well-mannered kid. He put the work in and earned a scholarship to Hampton. On the field, he was a tough guy and a good player for us who also was very respectful. It’s almost a lost art because they don’t make kids like Jon or it’s hard to come by them now. You could see way back then that Jon was destined to be a teacher and destined to be a coach. I’m just glad he was afforded the opportunity to do it because you can’t always go back home. Jon was able to go home to Bayside and coach for a number of years,” explained Jackson, who later coached at Salem High in Virginia Beach and his alma mater, I.C. Norcom in Portsmouth, before arriving back at Landstown in 2022.
“Off the field, Jon was just a quality person. I think I’m more upset about that because a good dude in the profession was taken away from us, for whatever the reason. As a coach, it’s always been my thinking that these kids should be burying me or having these conversations about someone like me, good or bad. For this to happen to someone who’s 43 years old with a wife and two kids, I feel for his family. We lost a good man who touched a lot of people.”
Like so many, Jackson first didn’t want to believe it when he was informed of White’s passing. Then his telephone conversation with one of White’s closest friends, former Bayside standout Dave Thompson, confirmed the harsh reality.
“Big Dave and Jon talked every single day. To hear him crying on the phone the way he did, it just broke my heart. It made me think about that those were some of the best days I had in coaching. Not just because we were winning, but I had good kids. I walked away from that caring about those kids. We have a lifetime bond. Now I’m coaching some of their sons. They bring them to you just because of the relationship they had with you as a kid,” Jackson added.
“I’m still numb to the whole situation. Jon was like a son to me. I’ve gotten so many calls of people reaching out because they thought he was my biological son. I had to do a post to clear that up. Whenever we talked, we ended every conversation with ‘I love you.’ It was a genuine love.”
Just this past Friday, White’s Marlins saw their 2025 campaign come to an end at 7-4 overall after being ousted by fellow Beach District member Salem, 28-19, from the Region 5A quarterfinals. They had defeated the Sun Devils 34-21 during the regular season. White’s son, Aric, is a sophomore wide receiver and defensive back.
Moore was reminded of the thoughtfulness of White when he prodded his other son, Tory, an eighth-grader at Independence Middle School, to make sure he put in the group text to his teammates that they had a ‘great season,’ following their close loss to Brandon Middle in the City Championship earlier this month.
“I texted the exact same thing to them and the coaches after the playoff game,” Moore shared. “You had a great season and I’m proud of you all. Jon worked so hard at it and the other thing is he worked so hard at doing it the right, legal way. Or the legal, right way, whichever way you prefer to say. He definitely didn’t cut corners.”
In an effort to compete with the best, White spent recent off-seasons getting work in with a trusted friend and perennial contending program in Lake Taylor, coached by Hank Sawyer, a three-time State Champion at the helm of the Titans in Norfolk.
“My heart is bleeding. I’m hurting for his family. We have done spring workouts together and 7-on-7 + linemen workouts for some years now. Our football staffs worked so hard with each other’s players. My offensive coordinator, Mike James, and Jon played together at Hampton U and were very close. My coaches are hurting and it was a very rough coaches meeting (Sunday),” Sawyer indicated.
“I’m thanking God for putting him in my life. He made life better for me just because he called me friend. I love Jon, but we will see him again in heaven. What an awesome man.”
White’s tenure saw the Marlins finish above .500 on 11 occasions out of 13 seasons and only missed the postseason twice under his direction. His dogged pursuit of excellence never wavered, nor did his values or principles change.
“I gave this talk to my Landstown kids and told this to my coaches. I have a couple of State Championship rings. They sit on my mantle or in my drawer. I never wear them, unless I go to a function and put it on just show as a show piece where people will ask. When you really look at it, they are just material things and a symbol of something you accomplished. Those Championships mean nothing in the grand scheme of things,” said Jackson, emphasizing White’s character far outweighs the wins and losses or what the scoreboard tells us.
“It’s those relationships you establish with those kids.”
Beloved and willing to help so many, White truly served as a pillar in the area.
Simply put, a man of integrity that was loyal and respected.
“I hope it’s one that doing the right thing is always the right thing to do,” replied Moore when asked what White’s legacy is.
“Working hard is always the right thing to do. And giving your best is always the right thing to do. That’s how I always saw Jon. He was always working hard. He’s going to do the right thing. And he was going to give you his best.”
Meal Train Info for Jon White’s Family Here
Another Beach District Coach Passes Away:
On the same weekend that Bayside’s Jon White tragically died, another Beach District football coach unexpectedly passed away.
Kempsville assistant Raymond Colston took his final breath on Sunday. He was 42 years of age.
“It is with a heavy heart that I share some sad news,” Kempsville Principal Tamika Singletary-Johnson wrote in an e-mail. “I know this news impacts all of us and we will come together as a community to support each other and Coach Colston’s family.”
A 2001 graduate of Maury High in Norfolk, Colston studied Behavioral Psychology at Regent University. He was on the sidelines two days prior to his passing when the Chiefs competed at Indian River in the Region 5A quarterfinals. Kempsville was eliminated, 47-14, to finish the season 7-4 overall.
In 2016, Colston joined John Kepple’s coaching staff at Tallwood High School in Virginia Beach. The weekend quickly became a somber one for Kepple when learning about White and Colston, who served as youth coordinator at First Baptist Church South Hill as well as an in-school suspension coordinator at Tallwood.
“Ray played an integral role in everything we did as a program. He touched countless student-athletes’ lives and made a profound, lasting impact on Tallwood football,” remarked Kepple, who led the Lions for 14 seasons from 2011-24.
“Ray was always willing to listen, to guide, and to show up for anyone who needed him. He spent countless hours supporting our athletes – driving them to recruiting trips, taking them to camps, and helping them navigate opportunities both on and off the field. His commitment didn’t stop with players; he was just as valuable to our coaching staff. Many coaches looked to Ray for steady leadership, thoughtful advice and strength during tough times.”
Before heading over to Kempsville, Colston was the longest tenured assistant of Kepple’s coaching career at Tallwood. Sometimes the best ability is dependability, which Colston displayed.
“For me personally, Ray was someone I could always rely on, someone who supported me unwaveringly as Head Coach,” Kepple continued. “His loyalty, dedication and heart helped shape the foundation of our program. Ray’s impact will be remembered, and he will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of working with him.”
Understand his divine assignment, says Kempsville Head Football Coach Daryl Cherry. Colston was more than a football coach.
“He was about kingdom building. For Kempsville, he inspired young men to be better versions of themselves. He would mentor, check on students’ grades, work with our parents to provide information and opportunities to help our program. For our players, he was what was needed. For every young mind he touched – friend, brother, mentor, parents – he challenged them to not take for granted the opportunities that were given to them, but be willing to put in the work to reach their goals,” Cherry revealed.
“For me, he was a dear friend, a brother, that voice of reason, support and a man of service, willing to help carry the load of coach with me. Things he saw that what weighed me down, he stepped in. Ray Colston was about God’s business, building youth for our future. He will be truly missed.”
Kepple also formed a strong relationship with White. Both ended as the longest tenured football coaches in the history of their schools.
“Jon White was a tremendous leader to our Virginia Beach football coaches. He guided all of our district meetings and earned the respect of every Head Coach he worked with,” Kepple noted.
“For me personally, he was always someone I could turn to, someone who would take the time to listen and let me bounce ideas off him. I spent countless hours on the phone or in person talking with Jon about football and about life. He was one of the good ones, a coach who not only looked out for his own team, but genuinely cared about everyone’s. His loss will be deeply felt and he will be sadly missed.”
Matthew Hatfield has served as Publisher for VirginiaPreps.com since 2016 and been writing for the web site under the Rivals umbrella dating back to 2004. Matthew also has served as the Play-by-Play Voice for Old Dominion Women’s Basketball since 2021. Check out Hatfield’s Twitter page for more sports related updates. To contact Matthew, please e-mail [email protected], and be sure to Subscribe to CoVA Sports TV, where you can watch and hear his Podcasts.