DPS Athletics Commissioner...Derrick Coleman

[Nikki Pooh]

Derrick Coleman new Detroit schools athletics commissioner

By The Associated Press





[[AP) — Former NBA and college basketball star Derrick Coleman will be the new commissioner of athletics for the school district in his hometown of Detroit.

The 42-year-old graduate of Detroit Northern High said Wednesday he's "thrilled to be taking this position."

Detroit Public Schools spokesman Steven Wasko tells the Detroit Free Press Coleman's contract isn't done, but he's scheduled to make $135,000 per year.

The Detroit News reports Coleman is taking over for Lafayette Evans, who retired before the start of the football season.

Coleman was a hoops standout at Syracuse University, as was his mentor, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing.


Once again, it's not about what you know, but who you know... Was there not a more qualified candidate for this position? Just saying...

[Genesyxx]

Well Bing recruited him to go to Syracuse back in the day so I'm sure there was a bit of pull. Still a bit surprising given his business track record.

[sirrealone]

Just make sure the first thing they do is show him where the bathroom is

[65memories]

Derrick Coleman is definitely not the kind of role-model the Detroit Public Schools needs.

[Kevgoblue]

More qualified candidates? Is Derrick Coleman qualified? I'd like to see what the qualifications actually are for the district athletic commissioner.

I can't see how he could be qualified regardless. I've never seen anything indicating that he has a college degree [[much less a master's which one would think would be a requirement to be a commissioner). He does not have any experience working in an educational field. Yet not only is he appointed to this position, he is apparently going to be paid $40K more than the individual who has been doing it for the last 25 years. Sounds like campaigning with Dave Bing pays off.

[exdetroiter]

He has connections most likely with college recruiters and he would be a good role model for young African American males playing ball in Highschool if he take a hands on approach. There could be some good for the children from this appointment.

[crawford]

You really need this position in a flat-broke school district, and, if so, you need it at 135k + generous benefits a year?

I would imagine 75k would get you more than competent candidates.

[EastsideAl]

Derrick made a whole lot of money in the NBA. Has he pissed away so much of his money that he really needs to take 135,000 from the broke-ass DPS?

[401don]

Someone tell Derrick you bring your own tp to DPS when you use the facilities. Oh yeah, Derrick doesn't use the facilities.

[firstandten]

The folks on Mildred Gaddis talk show are really running with this one. Its sounds like Derrick did get the hook-up as folks called it on the show. Don't know how true this is but I understand the job is being called DPS Athletics Commissioner because other more qualified people applied for the job that is titled as Director of DPS Athletics and Bobb didn't want to risk getting any legal implications behind this so the Commissioner title comes out and DC gets a no interview job. This job has Dave Bings fingerprints all over it. Bing has been mentoring DC ever since high school and he made sure DC became an Orangeman.

I don't know what DC brings to that particular table that a qualitified athletic admininstrator doesn't.

In many respects Bobb has done a fine job, but lately I think he's been overreaching and doing some things we were afraid he would be doing for a person with very little checks and balances.

[1KielsonDrive]

Terrible selection. Coleman is not someome I'd choose for any important position. So he starred in the NBA? Wow! He's known more for whipping it out in public than anything else he ever accomplished.

[Detroitej72]

Outside of him using a wall at a restaurant in Harmonie Park as a lavatory, has he done anything else questionable, in terms of behavior?

[firstandten]

Outside of him using a wall at a restaurant in Harmonie Park as a lavatory, has he done anything else questionable, in terms of behavior?

From DC's wiki page

Coleman was arrested December 21, 1988, while in Syracuse and charged with criminal mischief in the fourth degree and harassment. He later pleaded guilty to harassment and disorderly conduct.
In 1995, Coleman was arrested in Detroit and charged with refusing to move his truck and swearing at a police officer. The jury failed to reach a verdict and the case ended in a mistrial.
Coleman and several others were arrested in 1997 and charged with interfering with a police officer's duty in Detroit. Police said Coleman was released on a $100 bond on the misdemeanor charge.
In 1999, Derrick Coleman pleaded no contest to a disorderly conduct charge stemming from an incident in a Detroit restaurant. Coleman was accused of urinating in front of patrons at Intermezzo Italian Ristorante and was charged with disorderly conduct. Coleman still denies his guilt and says it was a drink that had spilled on his pants.
In July 2002, Coleman was pulled over for driving over 100 mph [[160 km/h) and arrested after test results showed he had a blood alcohol level of 0.13 percent when he was stopped, over Michigan's then-legal limit of 0.10 percent. Coleman was taken into custody by officers who suspected that he had been drinking. Coleman was ticketed for operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and refusing to take a breath test.
Also in 2002, Coleman surrendered himself to police while a member of the Charlotte Hornets on traffic-violation warrants. Coleman paid $800 and was released from the Mecklenburg County jail a few hours later.
Coleman was wanted on charges of driving with a revoked license and using an out-of-state license while his North Carolina license was revoked. Coleman had his license revoked because he refused to take a sobriety test after an accident in October 2001. Coleman was charged after his sport utility vehicle was involved in a late-night wreck with a tractor-trailer in Charlotte. Coleman and a female passenger received facial and head lacerations, and Eldridge Recasner, a reserve shooting guard for the Hornets, almost died after sustaining a broken shoulder and a partially collapsed lung. While Recasner was still in intesive care, Coleman called the wreck a 'freak accident' and said "I'm just happy everybody's OK and that we can look at this particular point in time and laugh and joke about it." Coleman refused to take a blood test after the wreck. Coleman eventually was acquitted of the drunken driving charges due to a mistrial."

Also in that page it stated that his career was marked by a bad attitude, excessive drinking, weight gain etc. He was the poster boy for unrealized potential.

Do we really want somebody with those kind of issues dealing with the students and coaches ??

[1KielsonDrive]

No! No! No!

[Homer]

Bing done drank the lemonade. Surround yourself with Clowns and you.........

[kraig]

The names may change [[just a little), but the game remains the same. Pimps Up [[politicians), Ho's Down [[the voters).