Monte Coleman

Monte Leon Coleman (November 4, 1957 – April 26, 2026) was an American professional football player who was a linebacker for 16 seasons with the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL) from 1979 to 1994. He was the head coach for the Arkansas–Pine Bluff Golden Lions.

Coleman played college football for the Central Arkansas Bears. He won three Super Bowls with the Redskins. As Arkansas–Pine Bluff's head coach, he led the Golden Lions to a Southwestern Athletic Conference championship in 2012.

Coleman played college football at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, then a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) school. He played safety his first three years before being converted to the linebacker position as a senior. He set a school record with 22 interceptions and became the first player from Central Arkansas drafted in the NFL when the Redskins chose him in the 11th of the 12 rounds of the 1979 NFL draft with the 289th overall selection.

He played for the Redskins in parts of three decades: the 1970s, the 1980s, and the 1990s. On the all-time list of games played as a Redskin, Coleman ranks currently second having played in 217 games, Darrell Green is first. He is one of only three men to have played for at least 16 seasons with the franchise, along with quarterback Sammy Baugh (16) and Green (20). Coleman's 56.5 sacks are the team's fourth-highest all-time total.

Coleman played in the Super Bowl four times, winning three: Super Bowl XVII, Super Bowl XVIII, Super Bowl XXII, and Super Bowl XXVI.

• Number: 51
• Sacks: 43.5
• Interceptions: 17
• Touchdowns: 3

Coleman was employed at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff as a linebacker coach and team chaplain. On November 26, 2007, Coleman was named head football coach at the university. On December 8, 2012, Coleman coached the Arkansas–Pine Bluff to a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) conference championship by defeating Jackson State, 24–21, in the SWAC Championship Game at Birmingham, Alabama. The same year, the team won a Historically Black Colleges and Universities national championship in 2012 following a 10-2 record.

Coleman lived in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, with his wife, Yvette, and their three children. His son, Kyle, played for the Los Angeles Chargers.

Coleman died on April 26 2026, aged 68.

• Monte Coleman made "the all Madden Team" in 1993.
• He was selected by Washingtonian Magazine as the Washingtonian of the Year in 1996.
• Coleman was inducted to the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.
• In 2003, he was named one of the 70 Greatest Redskins.
• In 2007, he earned the Elijah Pitts Award (named after the Conway, Arkansas, native and Green Bay Packer legend) as Conway's athletic lifetime achievement.
• He was enshrined to the Washington Redskins Ring of Fame on December 20, 2015.

• Career statistics from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference
• Monte Coleman at IMDb