Dr. Jay Hartwell Coats – former professor of accounting and dean emeritus of the Chambers College – passed away peacefully on May 4, 2025, in Florida.

“Dr. Jay Coats was a colleague of mine who was a dedicated teacher and administrator,” said Professor Emerita Ann Pushkin. “He truly wanted the John Chambers College of Business and Economics to be recognized as a first-class international research and teaching institution. Throughout Jay’s tenure, he worked very energetically toward that goal.”

Born on March 7, 1941, Coats grew up in Edgewood, Pennsylvania, less than 100 miles from Morgantown. He went on to graduate from the University of Pittsburgh, earning his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in business there.

In 1971, Coats began his long, storied career at West Virginia University. He served in many different roles including professor of accounting, director of graduate programs and undergraduate programs, and associate dean for academic affairs. In 2001, Coats began serving as dean of the Chambers College on an interim basis and was soon officially appointed dean. His major initiatives included developing an executive MBA program that was taught in distance education centers throughout West Virginia and forming the Executive in Residence program, which brought noted executives to campus to teach and pass on their knowledge of the business world to students.

After retiring to Florida in 2005, Coats continued to support Mountaineer athletics, and was always happy to hear fans sing “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” He also pursued his passion for automobiles by joining numerous fan clubs and caravaning with fellow enthusiasts, as well as becoming co-owner of an award-winning vintage show car.

Though confined to his bed at home in the last year of his life, Coats continued to inspire friends, family and everyone else who knew him with his warmth and welcoming sense of humor. He is survived by Cindy, his beloved wife of 59 years, and by many nieces and nephews and their families.

“Whether teaching or working in administration, Jay's goal was always to make a difference for the future lives of the students,” said Cindy Coats. “He was not only a wonderful husband, but also a good friend to all who knew and miss him. This wonderful, sweet, spiritual man, who lived a life of integrity and devotion, will live on in the hearts of those who loved him.”

In remembrance of Dr. Coats, contributions may be sent to:  

The Dean Jay Coats Faculty Enrichment Fund #3V1128, WVU 1 Waterfront Place PO Box 1650, Morgantown, WV 26507 

Or: The Monongalia County Child Advocacy Center, 909 Greenbag Road, Morgantown, WV 26508