Doug Colman Resigns As Absegami Football Coach
Doug Colman, who coached the Absegami football team to its only South Jersey championship and the two highest win totals in its history, resigned yesterday as the school's head coach. Colman will complete the school year and then accept an undisclosed position at the University of Nebraska, his alma mater.
The loss of Colman marks the second successful head coach to announce his departure from Absegami within a month. Girls basketball coach Greg Goodwin will step down at the end of this season.
Colman took over at Absegami in 2003 after a couple of years as assistant coach at Ocean City and Oakcrest. His first team was 7-4, tying a school record for wins in a season, and notched the first NJSIAA playoff win in school history. His 2004 team tied the record again with a 7-3 mark, won the Cape-Atlantic League’s American Conference championship but lost its playoff opener.
In 2005, Colman guided Absegami to a 10-2 record, another conference title and a spot in the South Jersey Group 4 final, losing a heartbreaker to Cherokee. The next year the Braves finished 11-1, shared the conference championship and won a thriller over Cherokee in the Group 4 final to bring the school its first South Jersey championship. Absegami was 5-5 last year, giving Colman a 40-15 record, the second most wins in school history.
As a player at Ocean City High School, Colman gained 1,272 rushing yards, the 20th highest total in school history, and was named South Jersey Defensive Player of the Year his senior year. He was coached by his father, Wayne, at OCHS. Both had careers in the NFL, the only father-son team in South Jersey to make that claim.
Colman, 34, played on National Championship teams at Nebraska in 1994 and 1995. He was a sixth round draft pick of the New York Giants, where he excelled on special teams. He also played for the Tennessee Titans (including Super Bowl XXXIV) and the Cleveland Browns.
The loss of Colman marks the second successful head coach to announce his departure from Absegami within a month. Girls basketball coach Greg Goodwin will step down at the end of this season.
Colman took over at Absegami in 2003 after a couple of years as assistant coach at Ocean City and Oakcrest. His first team was 7-4, tying a school record for wins in a season, and notched the first NJSIAA playoff win in school history. His 2004 team tied the record again with a 7-3 mark, won the Cape-Atlantic League’s American Conference championship but lost its playoff opener.
In 2005, Colman guided Absegami to a 10-2 record, another conference title and a spot in the South Jersey Group 4 final, losing a heartbreaker to Cherokee. The next year the Braves finished 11-1, shared the conference championship and won a thriller over Cherokee in the Group 4 final to bring the school its first South Jersey championship. Absegami was 5-5 last year, giving Colman a 40-15 record, the second most wins in school history.
As a player at Ocean City High School, Colman gained 1,272 rushing yards, the 20th highest total in school history, and was named South Jersey Defensive Player of the Year his senior year. He was coached by his father, Wayne, at OCHS. Both had careers in the NFL, the only father-son team in South Jersey to make that claim.
Colman, 34, played on National Championship teams at Nebraska in 1994 and 1995. He was a sixth round draft pick of the New York Giants, where he excelled on special teams. He also played for the Tennessee Titans (including Super Bowl XXXIV) and the Cleveland Browns.
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