Palatine Coaching Hall Of Famer Put Up 'Inspirational Fight': GoFundMe

PALATINE, IL — Earlier this year, Dave Yates was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2024. The legendary coach, who led the William Fremd High School girls basketball team to a state title in 2020, died on June 11 after an "inspirational fight" against brain cancer. He was 54.

A GoFundMe has been created by the Yates Hoops Fest Team. In lieu of flowers, the family has expressed donations to help with final expenses "would be appreciated." As of Monday afternoon, the campaign has raised more than $28,000.

"It has been just over a year since this amazing community rallied around the Yates family," the GoFundMe reads. "While they are mourning the loss of their beloved husband and father, they remain humbled and appreciative of every single prayer, gesture, and act of kindness they have received."

According to his obituary, Yates is survived by his wife of 28 years, Kathleen (nee Metz) Yates; his children, Tanner, Hope, Emma, and Brooklynn Yates; his mother, Julia, and his brothers, Mark, Michael, and William (Mindy) Yates. He was preceded in death by his father, Robert.

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With a lifelong love of sports, Yates, who was born in Elgin, followed up a successful high school basketball career to playing hoops for Elmhurst College (University), where he became a captain, and the team made the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history.

Following college, Yates became a high school math teacher and coached both basketball and baseball. He decided to focus on coaching basketball, by working as a graduate assistant at Lewis University. He later moved on to Highland High School in Gilbert, Arizona, to his first head boys basketball coaching position, which culminated in a state championship appearance.

Yates would then go on to become a teacher and assistant boys basketball coach at Fremd High School in Palatine before changing to girls basketball in 2006. His career included five trips downstate (2015, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2024), including the state championship in 2020, and third place in 2024, 13 conference titles, 11 regional titles, five sectional titles, five supersectional titles and over 400 wins at Fremd alone. Yates also coached for multiple AAU programs and numerous park district teams, soccer, basketball, softball and baseball, as well as feeder teams.

Visitation for Yates is planned for 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Our Lady of the Wayside, 434 W. Park St., Arlington Heights. A Funeral will be held at 10:45 a.m. Thursday, at Our Lady of the Wayside. Visitation will also be held prior from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Dress is casual at the request of Yates. Attendees can wear their Fremd or team colors or gear for both the visitation and funeral. A Celebration of Life is being planned for June 29th. More details to follow.

A Celebration of Life will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. June 29 at Fremd High School.

"It will be a festive atmosphere," the GoFundMe reads. "Attire is, again — school colors and very casual, per Dave's request."

To learn more about the GoFundMe and make a donation, visit here.