:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57281407/6_5461609.0.jpg)
Ron “Chin” Coleman was brought in as an assistant for the Fighting Illini in April 2017.
His previous tenures include a two-year stint at UIC under coach Steve McClain, three seasons as an assistant with coach Geno Ford at Bradley, and two years with coach Tim Miles.
Prior to this, Coleman spent six years as a coach with Chicago AAU team Mac Irvin Fire. Coleman was raised in Chicago and played his high school ball there, coached in the AAU circuit and prep level for multiple years, and he offers the Illini coaching staff great ties to the basketball-rich city. In fact, Coleman played a significant part in Illinois landing five-star guard Ayo Dosunmu just last week. He gave Dosunmu his first offer while he was on the UIC staff, and their relationship has continued to grow ever since.
Moving forward, Coleman’s connections with the city of Chicago will help head coach Brad Underwood in keeping most of the talent home. Recruiting Chicago has been a major issue with recent coaches, but Underwood and Coleman are off to a fantastic start, landing the best player not just in the Chicago Public League, but the state of Illinois. If the Illini are able to snag the top-tier talents from upstate and establish that I-57 pipeline, it can only lead to good things moving forward for Illinois basketball.