Hobart and William Smith Colleges Athletics

The most relentless pass rusher in Hobart football history and a tough run stopper, Tyre Coleman ’15 was a three-time All-American defensive end. He graduated second in NCAA Division III history with 51 career sacks and third with 94.5 tackles for loss.

During his career, Coleman and his classmates produced a 41-5 record, winning four straight Liberty League Championships. The Statesmen appeared in four consecutive NCAA playoffs, reaching the national quarterfinals twice.

As a senior, Coleman was named the National Defensive Player of the Year by D3football.com, the first Statesman to be so honored, and was a finalist for the Cliff Harris Award, which is presented to the nation’s top small college defensive player. That season, he led the Liberty League in both tackles for loss (30.5) and sacks (15), ranking eighth in the nation in tackles for loss per game and 15th in sacks per game. Coleman was fourth on the team with 55 tackles. He capped his career with nine tackles, a Hobart record six for loss, and two sacks at fourth-ranked Wesley in the NCAA quarterfinals.

As a junior, Coleman became the first Hobart defensive lineman to be named an AFCA All-American. Five games into his third season, he broke the program’s career record for sacks, raising his career total to 33.5 during a win over Springfield. In the NCAA playoff win over Gallaudet, Coleman made a season-high 10 tackles, including 3.5 for loss.

Coleman’s sophomore season was also a record-breaking one. He eclipsed the game record for sacks with 4.5 in a win at Utica and surpassed the game mark for tackles for loss with five in a win over Union. Coleman finished the year with Hobart season records of 30.5 tackles for loss and 17.5 sacks. The D3football. com All-American was third in the nation in tackles for loss per game and fifth in sacks per game as the Statesmen won a program record 12 games against just a single loss.

As a first-year, Coleman led the Liberty League and was second in the nation in sacks, while leading the league and finishing eighth in the country in tackles for loss. He ended the regular season with six solo tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles to help defeat Rochester in the Centennial Cup game. Following the season, Coleman was named to the D3football.com All-East teams for the first of four straight years.

One of the most decorated players in Liberty League history, Coleman was voted the 2011 Liberty League Rookie of the Year followed by three straight Liberty League Defensive Player of the Year Awards. He was a four-time first team All-Liberty League selection.

At the annual Block H Awards, Coleman was the co-recipient of the 2015 Francis. L. “Babe” Kraus ‘24 Memorial Award, given to Hobart’s most outstanding senior athlete. He was also a three-time recipient of the Toner Defensive MVP Award, the 2012 Abe Solomon Award and the 2012 Rookie Award for Football.