During the 2020 season Ned Coleman led the North Atlanta football team in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns with 300 yards and six touchdowns. Not only did Coleman dominate on the field, but he also dominated in the classroom where he held a 4.0 GPA and attended the Georgia Institute of Technology. Although he graduated from North Atlanta almost five years ago, he has returned to help coach the football team as an assistant under his former head coach, Jamie Aull, while continuing on his pre-med track at Georgia Tech.
In Coleman’s senior season, the Warriors had a brutal 3-5 record which left a bitter taste in his mouth. One goal that he set as he returned to North Atlanta as a coach was to get that bitter taste out of his mouth and help lead the team to a much better season. He will spend his time in the tight ends room, where he set his legacy when he was here. It will help that Coach Aull is still working with the same playbook he had when he played way back when. “I still remember the playbook like the back of my hand,” Coleman said. “Hopefully I can share my knowledge with players.”
Over the summer, Coleman attended his bio-med labs two times a week while also coming to every single workout that the team held. The dedication that he shows in the classroom and on the field truly shows what it means to be a Warrior. Coleman makes sure to get his school work done so he can make a positive impact on the Dubs following in his footsteps. The players have taken notice of his dedication and grind. “He’s always encouraging and never fails to make me laugh,” junior tight end Shep Sloan said.
With the season in full swing, Coleman is up at the football field almost every day, whether it’s for a 6am practice or 4pm run through. Although Coleman was already busy studying and grinding out school work, finding a reason to return didn’t give him any trouble. “I felt like I needed to give back to the school and football program that gave so much to me,” he said.
In the world we live in today you just don’t find too many people like Coach Coleman. His dedication to both academics and football shows what it truly means to be a Warrior.
