PINE BLUFF, Ark. -- Monte Coleman, the hard-nosed linebacker who won three Super Bowls with Washington and later coached Arkansas-Pine Bluff to a conference championship, has died. He was 68.
UAPB and the Commanders announced his death Sunday. No cause of death was disclosed.
"Monte Coleman was one of the greatest players in Washington history," Josh Harris, the Commanders' controlling owner, said in a statement. "He was one of the pillars of our championship defenses having played for all three Super Bowl-winning teams. His durability and leadership set the standard for what it meant to suit up for the Burgundy & Gold."
Born Nov. 4, 1957, in Pine Bluff, Coleman was a walk-on at Central Arkansas before being drafted in the 11th round by Washington in 1979. He would go on to play all 16 of his NFL seasons with the team, appearing in 215 regular-season games -- second in franchise history behind Hall of Fame cornerback Darrell Green.
Coleman is a member of the team's ring of honor and ranks second in franchise history in solo tackles.
"He may not have invented the position of nickel linebacker," then-general manager Charley Casserly said when Coleman retired in 1995. "But he rose it to a level which has not been seen since."
Coleman later became a linebackers coach at UAPB and then took over as head coach after the 2007 season. He remained at the helm for a decade, winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference title in 2012.
"Coach Coleman represented everything we strive for at UAPB," athletic director Chris Robinson said. "Excellence, integrity, and a relentless commitment to developing our student-athletes. His legacy is not only written in championships and honors, but in the lives he changed every single day."
