A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Jon Coleman was a standout at Little Rock Hall High School, where he was a three-year starter and two-time all-conference selection. During his prep career, he helped lead the Warriors to the state semifinals or championship game in three consecutive seasons. He is also the son of Hall High School head coach Jon Coleman.
Coleman went on to play five seasons (2019–2024) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). He began his collegiate career under head coach Rob Ehsan and completed it under head coach Andy Kennedy. During his time with the Blazers, Coleman contributed to multiple championship and postseason runs and including Conference USA and American Athletic Conference titles, two NCAA Tournament appearances (2022, 2024), and a trip to the 2023 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) championship game. Academically, he earned both his bachelor’s degree in General Studies (2022) and a master’s degree in Communication Management (2024) from UAB.
In 2024–25, Coleman joined head coach Rob Ehsan’s inaugural staff at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) as a graduate assistant. That season, the Flames posted a 17–14 record and their best finish since 2004. Coleman gained extensive experience in player development during this time, working alongside elite NBA and professional trainers such as Chris Brickley, Jeremy “Dribble2Much” Stephens, and Stephon Martinez. He also assisted in workouts with NBA and WNBA players including Ja Morant, Jimmy Butler, Desmond Bane, Trey Murphy, Max Strus, and Hailey Van Lith. Additionally, Coleman conducted his own sessions with professional athletes such as Jalen Smith (Chicago Bulls), Patrick Beverley (12-year NBA veteran), Walt Lemon Jr., Ben Coupet, and Charles Matthews.
