Darren Coleman

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Australian rugby union coach (born 1973)

Rugby player

Birth nameDarren Coleman

Date of birth1973 (age 51–52)

Place of birthBlacktown, New South Wales ^[1]

Position(s) Coach

Darren Coleman

Birth name

Darren Coleman

Date of birth

1973 (age 51–52)

Place of birth

Blacktown, New South Wales ^[1]

Rugby union career

Senior career
Position(s)	Coach
Years	Team	Apps	(Points)
1995	Eastern Suburbs		()
1996–1997	Hunter Wildfires		()
1998–2000	Northern Suburbs		()
Coaching career
Years	Team
2022–2024	NSW Waratahs
2021	LA Giltinis
2018–2020	Gordon
2014–2018	NSW Country Eagles
2017–2018	Warringah
2011–2013	Toyota Industries Shuttles
2007–2008	L'Aquila
2006–2007	Northern Suburbs
2005	Penrith Emus
2002–2004	Calgary Mavericks

Darren Coleman (born 1973) is an Australian professional rugby union coach. As of 2024, he is Director of Rugby at Hunter Wildfires.^[2]

Coleman was born in Sydney and he grew up in South West Rocks on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales,^[3] before moving south to play in the Sydney club rugby competition.^[4]^[5]

His younger brother Scott Coleman also became a professional rugby coach, appointed to Italian club Benevento in 2013.^[5]

Rugby career

While attending Southern Cross University in the late 1990s Coleman played for the University Gold Rats alongside Justin Harrison.^[1] Coleman played as a fly-half in Sydney's club rugby competition from 1995 to 2000 for Eastern Suburbs, Newcastle Wildfires,^[6] and Northern Suburbs.^[7] He was a rugby development officer in Newcastle.^[6]

Coleman combined playing with coaching in the early part of his career. While playing for Northern Suburbs, he was appointed as head coach of the NSW Waratahs Academy in 1998, and then as a skills coach to the Waratahs for the 2000 Super 12 season.^[7] In late 2000 he left Australia to take up contract stints as a player-coach with Irish club Waterpark,^[8] Italian Serie A team Benevento _[it] and the Calgary Saints and Calgary Mavericks in Canada.^[7]^[9]^[10]

Coaching

Coleman came back to Australia and joined the Penrith Emus as the head coach for the 2005 Shute Shield season. He then returned to Northern Suburbs as head coach for 2006 and 2007. Coleman was also assistant coach to the Central Coast Rays in the Australian Rugby Championship in 2007.^[7] He was appointed to professional Italian club L'Aquila for the 2007–08 season. guiding them to a promotion play-off for the Serie A Division.^[7]

He joined the Brumbies as head coach of the Brumbies Academy for the 2009 season.^[7] Brumbies head coach Andy Friend nominated Coleman as the Brumbies attack coach for the 2011 Super Rugby season, but the appointment was vetoed by the administration.^[11] He left for Japan to coach Toyota Industries Shuttles, where he guided the team to gain promotion to the Top League for the 2013–14 season.^[12]^[13]

On returning to Australia again, Coleman was coaching director of Eastern Suburbs from 2014 to 2016. He was appointed head coach of NSW Country Eagles in 2014,^[14] and head coach of Sydney club Warringah in 2017.^[15] Coleman won the Shute Shield premiership with Warringah in 2017.^[16] He was appointed head coach of Gordon in 2018,^[16] winning the Shute Shield with that club in 2020.^[17]

Coleman was announced as the head coach of Major League Rugby team LA Giltinis in the United States for their inaugural season in 2021.^[18] The Giltinis won the Western Conference and MLR Championship that year,^[19] before Coleman returned to Sydney to coach the New South Wales Waratahs for the 2022 season of Super Rugby.^[19]

Honours

LA Giltinis

Major League Rugby
- Championship winner: 2021
- Western Conference champion: 2021

NSW Country Eagles

National Rugby Championship
- Runner-up: 2014, 2016
- Minor premier: 2016

Central Coast Rays

Australian Rugby Championship
- Winner (assistant coach): 2007

Warringah

Australian Club Championship^[20]
- Winner: 2018
Shute Shield
- Winner: 2017
- Runner-up: 2018

Gordon

Shute Shield
- Winner: 2020
- Minor premier: 2020

References

1 2 Decent, Tom (3 June 2022). "Darren Coleman: How a 'battler' took long route back to the Waratahs". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 3 June 2022.
↑ "Darren Coleman joins brother as Director of Rugby at Hunter Wildfires". rugbynews.net.au. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
↑ Wasiliev, Nick. The Dropped Kick-Off 83 – 2023 NSW Waratahs Special w Darren Coleman. greenandgoldrugby.com. Event occurs at ^{[time needed]}. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
↑ White, Greg (12 February 2011). "Coffs Rugby prepares to defend". Coff's Coast Advocate. Archived from the original on 10 June 2016.
1 2 Gardiner, James (13 September 2013). "Coleman farewells Hawks as coach". Newcastle Herald. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
1 2 Gardiner, James (28 July 2005). "Hogg Packs Down For Late-season Cameo". Newcastle Herald. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
1 2 3 4 5 6 "Coleman to coach Brumbies Academy". Rugby Week. 19 September 2008. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
↑ Hickie, Gavin (February 2021). "Darren Coleman – Head Coach of L.A. Giltinis". Rugby Revealed (Podcast). Spotify. Event occurs at 4:55. Archived from the original on 3 June 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
↑ "Australian Coleman returns to Mavericks for 2003 RCSL". Calgary Rugby. 20 February 2003. Archived from the original on 12 October 2006. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
↑ Mike Challinor, Mike (10 July 2003). "Who is Darren Coleman?". Calgary Rugby. Archived from the original on 15 November 2003. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
↑ Harris, Bret (28 February 2011). "Brumbies' academy coach Darren Coleman accepts job in Japan". The Australian. News. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
↑ "Ashley-Cooper to stay in Australia". msn Sport. 22 March 2013. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
↑ "Toyota Shokki promoted, Sanix relegated". Rugby Redefined. 3 February 2013. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
↑ "Why change a winning formula? The Country Eagles coaching staff and captain confirmed for 2017". NSW Country Eagles. 17 July 2017. Archived from the original on 17 July 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
↑ "Shute Shield: Darren Coleman to coach Warringah in 2017". Rugby News. 17 July 2017. Archived from the original on 23 January 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
1 2 Phillips, Sam (30 October 2020). "Two years ago Gordon won just one game. Now they're favourites to win the Shute Shield title". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020.
↑ Phillips, Sam (31 October 2020). "Gordon break 22-year title drought in dramatic Shute Shield decider". The Age. Melbourne. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020.
↑ "Major League Rugby Officially Welcomes the LA Giltinis" (Press release). Major League Rugby. 28 May 2020. Archived from the original on 5 June 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
1 2 Evans, Luca (1 August 2021). "Giltinis win Major League Rugby championship in debut season". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021.
↑ 1st Grade Report (PDF). Warringah Rugby Club Annual Report (Report). 2018. pp. 9–10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2020.

Honours

Related Articles