Their origin began not with love, but friendship. 

“We met in ninth grade at Chapman, had the same group of friends and ate lunch together, ” Amanda Coates said. “We had many similar interests and a strong friendship.”

Then, something flipped for Ben Coates to transition her from his friend to girlfriend.

“It was October, and I just one day thought, ‘Wow she’s really cute,’” he said. “That weekend I called her, and she became my girlfriend.”

By the end of ninth grade, however, they broke up.

Ben Coates blamed this on the immaturity of their ninth-grade minds. 

But then, as their junior year rolled around, the two took most of their classes together, sitting behind each other in almost all of them. 

“We couldn’t help but talk to each other, and I’m incredibly charming,” Ben Coates said.

They then seriously dated for the rest of high school.

After graduation, she attended Clemson while he attended college in Sewanee, Tenn. to play football for a semester. 

They stayed together through long distances until Ben Coates decided football wasn’t for him, and he transferred to Clemson that next semester in January.

“We continued dating and were never attracted to anybody else,” Amanda Coates said.

Their senior year of college, they had a decision to make: What next?

Luckily, Ben Coates had the answer.

“As a senior, I realized that whenever I thought of the future she was in it,” he said.

“I called my parents and told them, ‘I need to go shopping for a ring.’ Then once I had the ring, I talked to her parents and got their blessings.”

Their engagement spot had two milestones in one.

“We had hiked Table Rock many times but never to the top,” Ben Coates said. “So, I proposed to her at the top of Table Rock, on Valentine’s Day and she said yes.”

“He told me, ‘I wouldn’t want to climb life’s mountain with anybody else,’” Amanda Coates said.

The summer following their marriage in December, they attended a graduate program in Mexico. This led to them attending another graduate program where they spent three months in Spain.

They explored all around Spain and earned their masters degree in Spanish.

Amanda and Ben Coates then both taught in Union County for three years.

During these three years, they drove to work together, saving gas, discussing their days, and sharing ideas. 

Amanda Coates then taught at Dorman High for 18 years before coming to Chapman, for five years. 

After a stint as an administrator, Ben Coates taught at the college level full-time before returning to public school this year.

The two never planned to work together; it just happened. 

Amanda Coates is in full support of his transition. 

“He’s the perfect person for the job,” she said. “He’s great at communicating with international students and multilingual learners.”

Ben Coates finds the transition to working with his wife seamless. 

“We have always been a good team together, so honestly it’s been great,” he said. 

“We both know we have a job to do, and we won’t get in each other’s way of doing that job.”

Ian Coates, their son who attends Chapman as a sophomore, said people have taken notice of his parents and their marriage.

“It’s interesting having both parents work at Chapman,” he said. “People constantly ask me questions about it and ask what it’s like.”

Amanda and Ben Coates have experienced almost every stage of life together and have clung to the fundamental rules that have sustained their firm and long-lasting relationship.

“Our marriage and relationship has always been founded on God’s principles for marriage,” said Amanda Coates. “We’ve always had a strong friendship and enjoyed the same adventures. We respect, encourage, and are patient with each other. We laugh, try to avoid being selfish, and communicate constantly. We see ourselves as a team in all aspects of life.”