Mt. Lebanon lineman commits to Colgate
Since given the green light to compete, Coleman Coco plays football ferociously.
“My mom wouldn’t let me play until I was in fourth grade because she didn’t want me to get hurt,” explained the 17-year-old son of Rosetta and Michael Coco. “Then she tried to get me to stop because I was hurting too many kids.”
At 6-3, 240 pounds, Coco certainly can put the hurt on the opposition. The rising Mt. Lebanon senior is expected to be one of the dominant linemen in the WPIAL.
“He is big, fast, and very good with his hands. He has a great motor,” said Lebo head coach Mike Melnyk. “He has tremendous potential at defensive end and I know he will show some of that this season.”
Coco started as a middle linebacker last season but moves to the line because of those aforementioned skills, which have earned raves beyond Mt. Lebanon. Before committing to Colgate University this past week, Coco had scholarship offers also from Kent State, Albany, the Air Force Academy, Columbia and Duquesne University.
“Colgate had been No. 1 on my list and after my visit last weekend I decided this was where I really wanted to go because I have had a great relationship with the coach (Ryan Knowles). From day one, they were the first school to visit Mt. Lebanon. They said, ‘we want to get you here’ and they made it happen. I visited the campus with my parents and I went to camp. It was a great one-on-one experience.
Having his position coach recruit him played a “big” role in Coco’s decision said Melnyk but the facilities and winning atmosphere didn’t hamper his commitment. The Raiders have “brand new” locker rooms and turf field.
“Not only were the coaches great but Colgate’s facilities are nice. Everything is new,” Coco continued. “It was a great fit for me. The atmosphere was nice and they win,” he emphasized. “They said in the last 20 years nobody has graduated from here without a ring. How can you say no to that?”
Coco certainly has become accustomed to winning. Under Melnyk, the Blue Devils captured the conference championship last fall. They have qualified for the playoffs during each of Coco’s varsity playing seasons. And now that his major college decision is behind him, he can concentrate on the upcoming campaign, which kicks off at home at 8 p.m. Aug. 25 against Fox Chapel.
“Absolutely,” Coco said. “It’s a big relief. I think I have made a good, very wise decision that will benefit my future. Now, it’s all about the present and making it happen for the team.”
Because Melnyk noticed Coco’s potential, he switched him from middle linebacker to defensive end near the end of the 2016 campaign. Back on Oct. 21, he had breakout game against Penn Hills last fall. During that 56-26 victory, Coco intercepted two passes and made eight tackles. “Best game of my life,” he said.
“So yes, I’m excited. Absolutely,” he continued, “about concentrating on the defensive line.”
To hone his skills, Coco ran track this spring. He excelled in the 100- and 200-meter dashes. “All to get better for this (football),” Coco said, pointing to the stadium’s turf.
Working hard has been Coco’s MO from the get-go.
“Football is my passion,” he said. “I fell in love with the grit of the game and the idea of getting better. In football, you can never be satisfied. If you do the drills, then you progress. For me, I want to get better. I’m never satisfied. I want to work and get better.”
“Coleman,” agreed Melnyk, “has a great work ethic. He is a tireless worker so he will become the best with the talents he has been given. He has tremendous potential.”
According to Coco, former teammate, Paul Gratton, set the bar high at Lebo. The 2016 graduate now plays for the Villanova Wildcats.
“We were sophomores on the varsity team,” Coco recalled. “He put us on our backs. We were cut and bruised but bounced back every day. He taught us that you grind. You get tough. He taught us the ropes and the tradition that is Lebo football and now it’s our turn to show the underclassmen.”
Gratton showed Coco how to be a leader and he is anxious to show the way as Lebo plots to defend its title and advance farther than last year’s first-round of the playoffs.
“I like the leader that I have become because of my experiences playing football. It has given me confidence and if I continue to work hard then basically the sky’s the limit,” Coco said.
“We got a taste of winning last year but this season we are hungry. We want to do more. You can never be satisfied.”
And those are further reasons why Coco should be a success long after he leaves the halls of education. While playing football at Colgate, he plans to major in business marketing but would not rule out a career in computer technology or engineering.
“Coleman should be a great fit at Colgate,” Melnyk said. “He valued a quality education along with a place where he felt great about football. I think he will have a tremendous career and flourish as a player.”
As long as Lebo bands together, Coco also believes the Blue Devils will flourish this fall. While he said that he is “excited” to continue with his life and football at Colgate, he is focused on the job of commanding the defensive line while his close friend, Colby Sorsdal, commands the offensive line.
“As long as we do that, if we do what we need to do for the team, then we all will benefit and reach our goals. We are brothers out there,” he said.