Monte Coleman, a durable Washington linebacker who played on three Super Bowl championship teams across a 16-year NFL career, has died at 68, the Commanders and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff announced.
The available report did not include details about the circumstances of his death. His passing prompted tributes from both the franchise where he spent his entire pro career and the university where he later coached.
Coleman was a standout at Central Arkansas before Washington selected him in the 11th round of the 1979 NFL Draft. He went on to become one of the defining defensive players of the franchise’s championship era, appearing on the team’s Super Bowl-winning rosters from the 1982, 1987 and 1991 seasons.
Commanders owner Josh Harris called Coleman “one of the greatest players in Washington history,” saying in a statement that Coleman’s “durability and leadership set the standard for what it meant to suit up for the Burgundy & Gold.”
A long Washington career, then a return to college football
Coleman played 215 games for Washington and finished with 1,002 total tackles, 49.5 sacks, 17 interceptions and four defensive touchdowns. He led the NFL in tackles in 1980, when he recorded 118 during the season.
After his playing career, Coleman became part of the football program at Arkansas-Pine Bluff and took over as head coach in 2008. He spent 10 years at the school and helped guide the team to a Southwestern Athletic Conference championship in 2012.
UAPB athletic director Chris Robinson said Coleman represented “excellence, integrity, and a relentless commitment to developing our student-athletes,” adding that his impact was reflected not only in honors and championships, but in the lives he influenced.
Coleman’s career linked two football communities: Washington, where he became a fixture of a title-winning defense, and Arkansas-Pine Bluff, where he helped shape the next generation of players from the sideline.
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