Harris County baseball coach dies in utility vehicle accident
Harris County baseball coach Tony Dimitri died Saturday in an accident involving a utility vehicle.
A WTVM report said that 44-year-old Darrell Guthrey was arrested and charged with first-degree vehicular homicide and driving under the influence following the accident.
Harris County baseball’s Instagram account announced the loss of its third-year head coach Sunday.
“Coach Dimitri was more than a coach, he was a mentor, a leader and a role model who gave everything to this program and to the young men who wore a Tigers jersey,” the announcement said. “His passion for the game and commitment to building character will forever be part of Harris County baseball.”
Dimitri coached in the Columbus area for most of his career. He coached Jordan — where he graduated from in 1998 — from 2011 to 2022. He also served as co-athletic director alongside Russell Scott, who shared what Dimitri’s friendship meant to him.
“If you know how coaches are, we were always kidding around, making fun of administrator while we were sitting in a faculty meeting together, trying to keep each other on our toes,” Scott said.
Scott remembered he and Dimitri were known for stepping in when fights broke out at Jordan.
“We were the ones everybody called when trouble hit the fan, and he wasn’t scared to step up and help me out if we had a brawl going at the school or whatever,” Scott said. “I always knew I could depend on him.”
Jordan will hold a candlelight vigil in Dimitri’s honor Thursday.
Dimitri’s father, Anthony Dimitri Sr., also coached baseball and directed athletics at Jordan. Anthony Dimitri, who played on Jordan’s 1971 state championship baseball team, died from cancer in 2008, three years before his son took the program over.
Dimitri led a struggling Jordan program to seven state playoff appearances.
“He got a lot out of the kids, man, and they loved him,” Scott said. “I can’t count how many phone calls I got last night from my former students who are 30-plus years old asking about what happened. Everybody loved coach Dimitri.”
Harris County baseball will open its season at Columbus on Feb. 9. Dimitri’s oldest son, Cayden, is a sophomore on the Tigers’ varsity team.
About the Author
Jack Leo is a sports writer and reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Jack worked for the AJC throughout his four years studying journalism and sports media at Georgia State University and the University of Georgia. He's now focused on telling stories in the grassroots: bringing comprehensive coverage of high school sports for AJC Varsity.
