[1] He signed with the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) as a rookie in 1959.
[2] Bates began his coaching career at the high school level, at West Highland in Fayette, Alabama and Westfield in Birmingham.
[3] After a year at Southern, Bates returned to Kentucky State at head football coach.
[4] In 1972, Bates succeeded Alva Tabor as Southern University's head football coach.
[5] After a 2–7–1 start to his career at Southern in 1982, Bates and the Jaguars posted two eight-win seasons (1974, 1976) and a nine win-season in 1975 in which Southern captured a share of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) title and won the Pelican Bowl over South Carolina State.