After 13 seasons at the helm, David Oates stepped down as James Wood golf’s head coach earlier this month. The school announced the hiring of new head coach Vitoria Burton on Tuesday.
Oates led the Colonels to five region tournament appearances in 2013, 2017, 2019, 2023 and 2024, peaking with a third-place finish in 2023. He also guided them to the Region 4D North sub-region title in 2024. Oates said it was the right time to “get some fresh blood” in the program, and appreciated the support he received from Coordinator of Student Activities Ethan Waters and Principal Shelly Andrews.
“It just was the right time to step away,” Oates said. “This past season, I had a lot of things going on in my personal life, and I felt it was time just to step away from it. I didn’t feel that I was giving what I’ve been giving in the first 12 years.”
Oates graduated from James Wood in 1985 after an impressive golf career, during which he qualified for the state tournament and placed second at the Group AAA Northwestern Region Championships as a senior. Oates, who also played basketball in high school, said getting the chance to coach the Colonels “meant the world” to him.
“I got kind of established in my life, and the job came up, and my family completely supported me,” Oates said. “My family said, ‘you should just go in and interview, you don’t want to wake up in 15 years and say you should’ve done that. So I went in, met with [then-Coordinator of Student Activities] Craig Woshner, and he hired me and it was off to the races.
“It meant a lot to me to come back to James Wood. I knew so many people, and I didn’t realize how many people actually followed us. I’ve had people stop me all the time and say, ‘man, you guys are having a great season.’ But, yeah, it meant a lot to me.”
During his tenure, Oates coached four players who made at least one state tournament appearance (Will Holmes in 2013, Roger Repasky in 2014, Brayden Rockwell in 2023 and 2024 and Ian Longo in 2024). Oates said taking a kid to the state tournament “is always a thrill,” but said he took the most joy in seeing his players gradually improve and learn to push themselves.
“Just the day-to-day [is what I loved most],” Oates said. “You go out to practice, and you work with the kids and you adjust them somewhat and they hit great shots … it’s just that look on their face [when they have success], it’s just so worth it. I think a lot of people get caught up in teams that go a long way and stuff, but sometimes it’s those day-to-day victories when we see a kid get it, that’s a great feeling.”
Oates said he thanked all his players, along with the James Wood administrators who “treated him like family,” for helping him succeed during his 13 seasons coaching the Colonels. Additionally, he said he appreciated Shenandoah Valley Golf Club for allowing the team to practice on its course.
“When I first started coaching, we played at Rock Harbor. [In 2015], we weren’t able to practice at Rock Harbor anymore, and I thought we’d lose our program,” Oates said. “But Shenandoah Valley stepped up; that was a game-changer for us. It’s a big commitment for the kids and for me to go down there and practice almost every day, but they were wonderful to work with.”
With Oates stepping down, Burton will look to help the Colonels bounce back after a seventh-place finish at the Region 4D North Sub-Region Tournament in 2025.
Burton attended Potomac Falls High School in Sterling before playing collegiate golf while attending Shenandoah University from 2021 to 2025. She’s currently pursuing a master’s degree in public health at Shenandoah.
After previously working in the pro shop at Blue Ridge Shadows Golf Club and directing golf operations and marketing at X-Golf Ashburn, Burton served as an assistant coach for Millbrook’s golf team.
“I am so excited to help the next generation fall in love with a sport I’ve been passionate about my whole life,” Burton said in a statement released by James Wood on Tuesday. “This is truly a dream.”
“We are incredibly excited to welcome Coach Burton to the James Wood athletic department,” the school said in a statement. “Vitoria brings a unique blend of deep local roots, collegiate playing experience and a strong professional background in golf operations. Her energy, passion for player development, and familiarity with our community make her the ideal leader to take our golf program to the next level. Our student-athletes are in great hands.”
— Contact Joe Tuman at jtuman@winchesterstar.com
Follow him on X @jtuman21