Michigan State officially names Marco Coleman Defensive Line Coach
Mel Tucker announced today that Marco Coleman is the newest member of his staff and will serve as the defensive line coach for the Spartans. He will also be the run game coordinator for the Spartans defense.
"Coach Marco Coleman brings years of college and NFL experience to East Lansing," said Tucker. "We're extremely excited for him to join our family and he is going to shape future champions."
Coleman played 14 seasons in the NFL (1992-2005) and was a Pro Bowler in 2000, he spent the past three seasons (2019-21) coaching the defensive ends and outside linebackers at his alma mater, Georgia Tech. Coleman was a two-time first team All-American and first round draft pick at Georgia Tech. He also helped the Yellow Jackets win a share of the 1990 National Championship and is a member of the Yellow Jackets Athletic Hall of Fame.
Coleman grew up in Dayton, Ohio before moving to Georgia and becoming a Hall of Famer. He was an All-American in 1990 and 1991 in his sophomore and junior seasons before entering the draft where he was selected 12th overall in the 1992 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins.
His NFL career saw him play 14 seasons, playing for the Dolphins (1992-95), San Diego Chargers (1996-98), Washington Football Team (1999-2001), Jacksonville Jaguars (2002), Philadelphia Eagles (2003) and Denver Broncos (2004-05). He was named NFL Rookie of the Year in 1992 by Sports Illustrated after recording 84 tackles and six sacks. His Pro Bowl season in 2000 with Washington saw him reach a career high in sacks with 12.
Coleman played 207 NFL games in his 14 seasons. He started 185 of those games, recording 614 tackles, 65.5 sacks and 18 forced fumbles.
After the NFL, Coleman started a new career in finance, becoming a managing partner at Matador Financial. He started coaching as a coaching fellow in 2017 with the Philadelphia Eagles as well as serving as the defensive coordinator at Mandarin High School in Jacksonville, Florida that same year.
His first full-time coaching position was in the NFL as the assistant defensive line coach for the Oakland Raiders. He then returned to Georgia Tech where he coached defensive ends/outside linebackers for Georgia Tech.
Coleman will replace Ron Burton as the defensive line coach, as Burton decided to leave the Spartans last month.
Between new pass rush specialist/defensive ends coach Brandon Jordan and now defensive line coach Marco Coleman, Michigan State should see a spike in recruiting and on-field production from the defensive line with tons of college and NFL experience between the coaches.