Mention high school basketball in the Ohio Valley and you won’t get far without talking about Mel Coleman. A native of Wheeling, West Virginia, Coleman grew up a devout Catholic who excelled at basketball, football, and baseball at Wheeling Central High School. After graduating from Edward Waters College in 1967 with a degree in biology, Coleman took a job coaching boy’s basketball at Weirton Madonna High School, where he also taught biology, physical education, and health. As one of only four black high school basketball coaches in the state, Coleman was influential in breaking down racial barriers.
In 1979, Mel took over for his longtime mentor Earl Haberfield as the basketball coach of Wintersville High School, where he’d been teaching science and coaching track. From 1979-1990, Mel guided Wintersville to an unprecedented run of success, winning three Ohio Valley Athletic championships, five sectional championships, and three district championships.
During this period, Mel was heavily engaged with the local community and his parish, St. Paul’s. A member of the Knights of Columbus, he also volunteered for the Big Brother and Big Sister programs as well as the Jaycees, a national organization focused on community service.
Following his time at Wintersville, Coleman served as an associate head coach for Norfolk State University, where he helped the Spartans reach the NCAA Division II Final Four in 1995. He later served a year as interim head coach at the school before returning to the high school ranks.
