Induction Video
(Written: July 2018)
Although having never played high school basketball, Mel Coleman, a member of UW-Stout’s men’s basketball team from 1966-69, earned National Association of Basketball Coaches All-America First Team recognition in 1969 – the only player in program history to accomplish the feat. In 1969, he was also selected conference Player of the Year – earning all-conference honors for the second straight season – and helped the Blue Devils reach the NAIA Tournament.
Coleman’s 38 rebounds against UW-Whitewater in 1968 still tops the conference’s single-game list. He established school records with 571 points and 451 rebounds during the 1968-69 season. Coleman ranks fourth on the school’s all-time chart with 1,069 career rebounds, while compiling 1,130 points. In 1969, he was drafted by the Cincinnati Royals (6th round – 79th overall) of the National Basketball Association and the Carolina Cougars of the American Basketball Association. Coleman was inducted into UW-Stout’s Hall of Fame as a charter member in 1978.
Coleman earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in psychology from UW-Stout. He resides in Minneapolis, Minn.