In three seasons, Nick has cleared one major hurdle after another as a rare two-way starter for Alter.
The first one was carving his own identity.
“People knew me as Trey’s son,” Nick said. “I just wanted to make a name for myself.”
Coleman has done more than make a name for himself.
Most recruiting sites have him listed as a three-star recruit and rank him among the top 40 cornerbacks in the nation. He drew a plethora of offers before choosing Notre Dame over Michigan State, Duke, Ohio State and others.
While growing up a fan of the Irish, the thought of following his father to Notre Dame on a scholarship seemed unattainable.
Even when he was telling coach Brian Kelly he was committing to the Irish, the moment seemed surreal.
“I always thought it was just a dream, even when they offered me,” Coleman said. “I never thought it’d turn out the way it did.”
Domsitz, on the other hand, could see something special in the way Coleman went about his business at Alter.
“When they come in (as freshmen) you never know if they have what it takes inside them to get to that level,” Domsitz said. “But Nick is a good worker, he plays both sides of the ball, he is a captain, he is a great practice player, he is skilled, he is a leader. I don’t see a down side to him.”
Notre Dame was one of the last schools to start recruiting Coleman, but after a visit, he was able to clear another hurdle he had set up for himself — committing before his senior season began.
“That was very important to me,” Coleman said. “I wanted to get it over and done with. I want to do big things to help the team. I want to be able to wake up and go work out and get better to help Alter and not have to worry about calling coaches and taking visits and seeing people.”
Coleman rushed for 1,168 yards and 13 scores as a junior running back and also finished with 39 tackles, 10 pass break-ups and two interceptions in the secondary.
It is on the defensive side of the ball that the Irish envision Coleman taking the field.
“I have always really been a defensive player,” Coleman said. “I filled in because of injuries and never looked back. I feel I am a defensive back at heart. I’ll play running back, but I’m a defensive player in my mind.”
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