Nick Coleman Growing Through Change

Nick Coleman started off 2016 as a starting cornerback for Notre Dame and heading into the 2017 season; the junior is battling for a starting position at free safety. The 6-foot-1, 187-pounder was asked to move to safety, and the Ohio native was more than open to the switch.

“I’ve enjoyed it so far,” stated Coleman. “I feel there is a lot more action and opportunities to make plays. Working with Coach (Mike) Elko has been great, and he is a good teacher.

“I accepted it with open arms. As soon as Coach Elko was hired, I gave him a call, and I saw what he was about. I just tried to form a relationship with him, and I am still trying to do that so I can attack the position the best I can.”

Coleman wasn’t expecting to make a position move after the 2016 season, but in his meeting with head coach Brian Kelly, the topic came up.  

“In my exit meeting with Coach Kelly, we talked about going forward as a team and then talked about me individually,” explained Coleman. “He asked me about safety, and I was all for it. It’s been going since then.

“It was something different, and I wasn’t expecting to hear it. At that point, we were coming off a 4-8 season and trying to do anything possible to come up from that.”

Through the first half of spring practice, Coleman feels he has an edge in athletic ability but is still getting used to the different roles at free safety.

“There are responsibilities that are a lot more than a cornerback does,” said Coleman. “You’re the quarterback of the defense. You see the big picture, so you have to be more vocal, and it’s more of a leadership role.”

Elko has made the transition smooth for Coleman this spring and has been able to communicate his message to the safety unit a lot more clearly than previous staffs.  

“I’d say Coach Elko is a pretty funny guy,” Coleman said. “He’s pretty not laid back, but he’ll joke with you than our previous coaches. When it gets down to it, he knows what he is talking about. The way he explains everything is clearer. He’s a good coach.

“He will ask if I am getting it. He’s not going to jump on you. He is always going to accept you with open arms, and he is never too busy for you.”

Coleman has his confidence back and is gaining more confidence with each rep he takes at safety.  

“The more comfortable you get, the more confident you get and the more reps you get, it all comes together,” he stated. “I feel more confident in my play and my decision making.

“The way I carry myself, you don’t want to carry yourself as a backup. I’ve done my best to be a great leader to our unit and the defense as a whole. It comes with being a third-year guy.”

Confidence wasn’t something you saw after the first game last fall in Austin. Coleman had a rough night on an island against John Burt, but he took it as a chance to grow as a player.  

“It was a big learning moment,” Coleman explained. “If you want to play college football at a high level like this, you’re going to get baptized or be down at some point. I learned how to handle adversity. Stuff like that is going to happen has a defensive back, but it’s all about how you handle it.”

Coleman then saw three freshmen take over reps at cornerback for most of the year. He didn’t give up and kept working, despite not seeing the field at cornerback.  

“You’re not going to be able to control your situation completely at certain times of your life,” said Coleman. “At that point, you control what you can control, and that’s what I tried to do for the rest of the season.

“I got back out there taking a bigger role on special teams and ended up playing few snaps at the end of the season. I took it in stride, and you can’t get down on yourself. The team is also having a tough year, so you have to use it as motivation and a learning tool.” 

If you enjoyed this article, please share it with the Social Media buttons below!