Funeral arrangements scheduled for beloved Lake Brantley football coach George Clayton
Former Lake Brantley high school football coach George Clayton died Sunday morning at the age of 74 following a decline in health the past two years.
Clayton, a Houston native and coach in Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania, was beloved locally by peers, players and friends since moving his family to Altamonte Springs in 1988.
He spent 29 years on the sideline with the Patriots – including 19 as head coach – before retiring with a 148-61 record following the 2015 season. He did not coach in 2013 while recovering from back surgery.
“George was a great guy who is going to be missed,” said Gig Sineni, president of the Orlando Touchdown Club. “He was a winner. Just look at the people’s lives he touched.”
A viewing will be held Sunday from 2-4 p.m. at Highland Memory Gardens at 3329 East Semoran Blvd. in Apopka. The funeral service is scheduled for Monday at 10 a.m. at Annunciation Catholic Church at 1020 Montgomery Rd. in Altamonte Springs.
Football Twitter accounts for Lake Mary, Winter Springs and Evans offered condolences to Lake Brantley and the Clayton family over the holiday weekend. A local television reporter wrote “he was not only a great leader, but truly a nice man” in another post.
Others left heartfelt messages on Clayton’s Facebook page, including his eldest son Skip Clayton, who finished his first season as Lake Brantley’s head coach last fall.
“For many young men in the area he was a teacher and coach, for me he was my hero,” Skip wrote. “I live my life everyday trying to be just like him. He was the best dad, husband, and grandfather anyone could ask for. He may be gone but he has left a mark that will endure forever.”
A National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee in 2019, Clayton led Lake Brantley to the postseason 15 times while going unbeaten in the regular season in 1998, 2011 and 2015. The Patriots finished state runners-up under his guidance in 2006.
“He was a big figure in my life and an important person in the Lake Brantley community,” former Patriots running back Trace Christian said. “Not only was he a great coach, but he cared about you and was there for you.”
Christian, who played collegiately at East Carolina and is now a local real estate agent, finished his third spring as Lake Brantley’s running backs coach in May.
Christian was a junior during Clayton’s final season.
“He knew how to coach you the right way, and a lot of it transitions to life on the job,” he said. “If you were having a bad day he might bring you over and talk to you and get you back in the right mindset. He always wanted you to work hard and be successful on and off the field.”
Email J.C. Carnahan at jcarnahan@orlandosentinel.com.
