Lamar University Athletics

First of the many great Lamar tennis stars, Don Coleman captured a record three consecutive Lone Star Conference championships from 1952 to 1954.

The Port Arthur native won the first individual championship for Lamar in its senior college era and led the Cardinals to their first team championship. Coleman’s greatest single season was in 1955, when he was 14-1 in singles dual matches and 11-0 in doubles. Although Coleman didn’t win the Lone Star Conference singles title in 1955, he won the NAIA national doubles title.

Coleman, who also played basketball for two years for the Cardinals, had a fantastic reign of success as basketball coach at Spring Branch Memorial High School. He won a Class 4-A state championship in 1966 and was runner-up in 1967 and 1969.