Max Coleman, an experienced collegiate coach who has worked with successful student-athletes at three different institutions, joined the UNCW track and field and cross country programs as an assistant coach in March 2020 and was promoted to associate head coach in August 2023.
“Max has been successful at every level he’s coached, and we’re excited to have him on our staff,” said head coach Jeff Klaves. “He shares our vision to build a program around high-achieving student-athletes in the classroom with an unrelenting desire to succeed athletically.
Coleman enters his 12th season of coaching and his sixth with UNCW in 2025-26. At UNCW, Coleman has coached several NCAA qualifiers and CAA champions. UNCW has also set multiple program records with Coleman on the staff.
Coleman was instrumental in four of the six Coastal Athletic Association gold medals won by UNCW athletes during the 2024-25 season, working with Lakelyn Bass (women's pole vault), Donovan Lara (men's high jump), Bryson Robinson (men's long jump) and Cameron Wright (men's 110-hurdles).
He helped guide Ivan Poag, who won two CAA silver medals (men's long jump and men's triple jump), and had four top-10 finishes to become the 2025 CAA Most Outstanding Field Performer at the CAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships (May 14-15, 2025).
A native of Trumbull, Connecticut, Coleman spent 2018-19 and the early part of 2019-20 helping Catawba establish its new program. He previously worked at Transylvania and his alma mater, High Point.
A 2014 graduate of High Point, where he competed in the high jump, long jump and relays, Coleman began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Springfield (Mass.) College. He developed training programs for the sprints and jumps events and assisted with home meet management while earning his graduate degree.
Coleman accepted his first full-time position at NCAA Division III Transylvania and spent one year with the Pioneers. He worked with the hurdles, sprints and jumps events, coaching the school’s first All-American and a pair of second-place national finishers in the 60-meter and 100-meter hurdles. Overall, he coached five national qualifiers and the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Male and Female Athlete of the Year in Lexington, K
In 2017, Coleman moved to Catawba to help the Indians get their program started. He helped Catawba improve from 10th place to fifth place in one year and coached three All-Conference indoor performers in the long jump, triple jump and 60 meters.
In March 2020, Coleman carried sophomore MeKayla White to the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships in Birmingham. White, who was ranked 10th in D-II, competed in the long jump at the Birmingham CrossPlex and became the first Catawba student-athlete to qualify for the nationals.
Coleman, who has USATFCCA certifications as a combined events specialist and jumps specialist, is also certified in advanced strength and conditioning.
