Longtime educator John Tuttle, a former assistant coach on JAWS Tomcat staff 50 years ago, dies at 76 in Florida

John Tuttle, who was an assistant coach on Ashland coach Herb Conley’s last two staffs in 1975 and 1976, died Tuesday in Indialantic, Fla. He was 76.

As a young man in his early 20s, Tuttle’s 40-year education journey started in the Ashland Independent School System. He coached football for seven years in the Ashland system, starting at Putnam Jr. High and advancing to the high school level in 1975 when the Tomcats beloved JAWS team went 14-1. He also was on the staff in 1976 during a 9-3 season and stayed on when Mike Holtzapfel took over the head coaching reins at Ashland from 1977-79.

He was also a highly respected high school basketball referee in Kentucky, many times partnering with Bill Burch.

Tuttle was lured to Florida by friend John Thomas, a former star baseball player at Ashland, in 1980. Thomas was coaching in Florida and Tuttle followed him there to coach football and baseball at Palm Bay High School where he became the assistant principal in charge of discipline.

He would stay in education for 40 years and won a state championship in the Sunshine State in baseball in 1985 for Palm Bay.

He was also an assistant principal at Cocoa Beach High School and was a principal at Mila Elementary, Southwest Middle School and Bayside High. He was instrumental in designing Heritage High School before retiring after four decades in education.

Tuttle keep officiating basketball and appeared in several Florida state championship games as referee. Also, an avid golfer, he could shoot his age and share a hole-in-one plaque with his son, Lance, and grandson, Cole, at Spessard Holland Golf Course.

He was from Winchester, Ky., and was married to his high school sweetheart, Karlene, for 55 years. Tuttle is survived by his wife and son and 10 grandchildren.

Services are Tuesday at Melbourne Church of Christ in Melbourne, Fla.