Softball An Outlet From Difficult Dealings For RMC Coach
Work With Troubled Teens Eased By Diamond Success
By Scott Koskoski

Step into Craig Coleman's hotel room, and be ready to talk.

Chances are that Coleman, head softball coach at Robert Morris College for the 11th season running, has assembled a conversational roundtable that breathes an intriguing mix of Olive Garden commercial and "All in the Family" episode. On this night, school prayer and seafood restaurants are the topics entscheiden, and Coleman is holding court.

When you get the chance, air your mind and get ready for one of Coleman's roaring, infectious laughs. That humor is one way Coleman deals with the ups and downs of college sports, and is one reason the Colonials are where they are.

Coleman is somewhat of a legend 'round the Robert Morris campus; he is the self-proclaimed "Dean of Colonial Coaches" and owns more career wins at RMC than any other current coach.

With six Northeast Conference (NEC) titles in the 1990s and a promising 2001 season under way, Coleman is a college athletic director's dream-come-true. He recruits players as well known for their accolades in the classroom as on the field. His knowledge of the strategy and inner workings of the game is on par with any of the nation's top coaches.

What's more, Coleman doesn't even take up office space on campus. You see, softball is Coleman's part-time job. When he's not at Robert Morris, Dr. Coleman is medical director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Impatient Unit at UPMC Medical Center in Pittsburgh, where he takes on what he calls "the problems of the real world." Those include such societal problems as suicidal teenagers, potential school shooters and kids of long-gone parents.

So with all that on his mind, shouldn't getting out of a bases-loaded jam seem like child's play to Coleman?

"Softball is theraputic, in a way," reflects Coleman. "Everybody has their hobbies - some people like fishing, others like stamp collecting. For me, softball is what I do when I'm not at work, and it helps to keep a sense of balance in my life."

If Coleman throws this much zeal into his coaching gig, it's no wonder he's served successfully at UPMC since 1983.

The Colonials may not receive much hometown attention, but with recent wins over powerhouses Florida State, Oklahoma, Virginia and Michigan State, Robert Morris has drawn significant attention from the national softball community. The Colonials are regularly ranked in the NCAA's Northeast Region and have been to four Tournament Play-In Series in Coleman's tenure, losing all four by a combined six runs. Not bad for a team that went 12-44-1 in the two seasons prior to Coleman's 1990 appointment.

A decade later, what keeps Coleman so motivated?

"We've been able to accomplish many things since I was hired, but there's still so many things on the table," he said. "Regional and national rankings are nice, but we've yet to make the NCAA tournament. Winning a Play-In series is the next step."

Back to the hotel room, where the subject switches to the best minor leaguers in baseball history. Plopped on the couch next to Coleman is his father, one of his biggest fans ... and softball mentors. The elder Coleman is a travel team coach in Philadelphia and helped inspire Craig and his younger sister to get involved in the game. Craig's commitment to mixing academics and athletics had an early start; at age 18, he was already tutoring his sister's teen travel team.

Coleman has extensive travel team experience as well. In 16 years of summer coaching, he compiled a 359-158 record, the bulk coming with the 18-and-under Pittsburgh Patriots, which continues to serve as an RMC recruiting tap. Keep in mind that during all this time, Coleman still was focused on his day job at UPMC.

With his milestone 250th Colonial coaching win squarely behind him, Coleman feels it's time for Robert Morris to take the next step toward winning a national championship.

"It's been three years since we hung up a conference banner in Sewall Center," Coleman says painfully. "It feels like much longer, and winning the NEC consistently is the first step towards taking a permanent spot on the national stage."