Ousted UAPB coach Coleman says he wishes athletes well

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas -- “There’s a lot of the fan base, and a lot of folks that stop contributing because they wanted me out,” former UAPB head football coach Monte Coleman said. “I’m out now, so I hope the fans that backed off will step up to the plate. It’s not about the coach, it’s about the young men. We as coaches did the best we could in choosing them. The young men definitely deserve it.”

Since learning Monday morning that his contract as head football coach at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff wouldn’t be renewed after it expires in December, Monte Coleman said that it “has been a tough process.”

“It was an enjoyable 10 years as head coach,” Coleman said. “I’ve made a lot of friends, and hopefully I’ve been able to have a positive effect on a lot of men. It’s a sad deal, but life goes on, and I’m just expecting the lord to open another door.”

In all, Coleman was a coach on the UAPB football staff for nearly 15 years. Over that time, he has coached a lot of young men, but in a brief interview he named a couple of special guys off the top of his head who he sees as staples in his coaching career.

“I had a lot of players come through,” Coleman said. “Johnny Randle was with me early on, Patrick Okeye, who is a police officer in Dallas, Pat Sanders is a financial advisor, Horton, Jared Dorn, Aaron Eugene, Willie Young, and even my son. Tashad Cherity would be the latest. There’s a whole host of guys that played for me and played well, but all of the guys I named weren’t always starters, but they were always leaders. And I’m pretty sure there’s plenty of guys that I unintentionally left off.”

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