Coach Donald Michael Horton

Coach Donald Michael Horton of Raleigh, NC passed away in the arms of his loving wife on May 28th, 2016 at Transitions LifeCare’s Hospice House at the age of 58. He was born February 2, 1958 in Cincinnati, Ohio, the second of four children of Dr. Robert and Pearl Horton.

Don attended Indian Hill High School, Peddie School and Wittenberg University. He played football at all three schools. While he was working on a Master’s degree in Sports Science at The Ohio State in 1982, he became a graduate assistant for the football team, thus beginning a coaching career that would span three decades and six states. He coached at ten schools, most recently Boston College and North Carolina State University. Eighteen of Don’s players went on to NFL careers, he coached in twelve bowl games and recruited countless athletes. He was named the Top Assistant Coach in 2005 and ESPN Coaches Poll’s Best Offensive Line Coach in 2006. The most important part of coaching to Don was his players. Many of his players have kept in touch with him over the years and have told him that he changed their lives. He not only taught them about the game, but he reinforced the core values of being honorable men and true teammates. He cultivated the values of effort, integrity, courage, perseverance and loving fully.

As much as Don loved football, his players and fellow coaches, nothing compared to how he loved his family. Don met his wife, Maura Sweeney Horton, in 1990 and they were married for 23 years. They were a team on and off the field, caring for each other and their daughters Hayes Elizabeth (Libby) and Hadley Ellison. Never did they face as big a challenge as they did in 2006 when Don was given a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. Team Horton fought valiantly against the illness trying novel medical interventions, creating a clothing line for people with limited mobility, and helping bring awareness to Parkinson’s disease. Ultimately they donated Don’s brain to research hoping to advance diagnosis and treatment and the role football may play in the process. Don loved being a father. He was thrilled that his girls enjoyed athletics and he always found ways to encourage them to be their best selves, to work harder than they thought possible and to find the best in everyone. Don’s legacy lives on through his daughters and his many “sons.”

In addition to his parents, wife and daughters, Don is survived by his siblings Robert (Elisabeth) Horton, Kristen Layer (Derrick) and Deborah Alf (Edward); his in-laws Barbara and Michael Sweeney; and numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins.

Promising to help Don’s daughters in the way he mentored them, several of Don’s former players have established a fund for the girls. In lieu of flowers memorial gifts may be made to this fund at https://www.gofundme.com/wbzds22s. In addition donations can be made to Transitions LifeCare, 250 Hospice Circle, Raleigh, NC 27607 or The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, P.O. Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741.

A service celebrating Don’s life will be held at Armstrong Chapel United Methodist Church, 5125 Drake Road, Cincinnati, OH, on Saturday June 4th at 11:00 am. Visitation one-hour prior. Interment immediately following the service.

Arrangements by Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, Saint Mary’s St., Raleigh. Condolences may be made through brownwynne.com.