Michigan State officially hires Marco Coleman as defensive line coach and run game coordinator

Michigan State head football coach Mel Tucker has finalized his 2022 coaching staff with the hiring of Marco Coleman as defensive line coach and run game coordinator (for the defense). Coleman makes 10 full-time on-field assistant coaches for Tucker’s staff, which is the maximum number allowed.

News about Coleman’s potential hire first broke on Jan. 30. He takes over for longtime MSU defensive line coach Ron Burton, who left the program in January. In addition to Coleman, Tucker recently hired pass rush specialist Brandon Jordan and running backs coach Effrem Reed. Departures from the 2021 coaching staff include Burton, cornerbacks coach Travares Tillman and running backs coach William Peagler.

Coleman comes to East Lansing from Atlanta, where he’s spent the past three seasons as outside linebackers/defensive ends coach for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Prior to working at Georgia Tech, his alma mater, Coleman served as an assistant defensive lineman with the then Oakland Raiders. He got his start as a coaching fellow with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017, and also served as defensive coordinator at Mandarin high school in Jacksonville, Florida that same year. Before getting into coaching, Coleman was a managing partner at Matador Financial in Florida.

Coleman also has plenty of playing experience as well. In just 34 games, he amassed 27.5 sacks and 50 tackles for loss in three seasons as an outside linebacker for the Yellow Jackets, which were both school records at the end of his college playing career and currently both ranked fourth in Georgia Tech program history. He was also a two-time All-American selection, and helped the Yellow Jackets win the 1990 national championship. Coleman was inducted into Georgia Tech’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001.

After being drafted in the first round of the 1992 NFL Draft (12th overall) by the Miami Dolphins, Coleman played 14 seasons in the league. He spent time with the Dolphins, (then) San Diego Chargers, (then) Washington Redskins, Jacksonville Jaguars, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos from 1992 through 2005. He was named NFL Rookie of the Year by Sports Illustrated and Football News in 1992 with the Dolphins, and was selected for the 2000 Pro Bowl when he was with Washington. Coleman finished his professional career with 614 total tackles, 65.5 sacks and 18 forced fumbles, according to Pro Football Reference.

Like Tucker, Coleman originally hails from Ohio. Coleman’s hire is expected to make a big recruiting impact in states such as Ohio (where he played high school ball), Georgia (where he played collegiately and coached at for the past three years) and Florida (where he lived after retiring and was a high school coach), as well as others.

In a tweet, Tucker had this to sat about Coleman: “Coach Marco Coleman brings years of college and NFL experience to East Lansing! Extremely excited for him to join our family and he is going to help shape future champions.”

Michigan State’s full-time coaching staff for 2021 will be as follows:

• Mel Tucker, head coach
• Chris Kapilovic, assistant head coach/offensive line coach/run game coordinator
• Jay Johnson, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach
• Effrem Reed, running backs coach
• Courtney Hawkins, wide receivers coach
• Ted Gilmore, tight ends coach
• Scottie Hazelton, defensive coordinator
• Ross Els, special teams coordinator/linebackers coach
• Marco Coleman, defensive line coach
• Brandon T. Jordan, pass rush specialist
• Harlon Barnett, secondary coach