Coleman commits to Irish
Nick Coleman felt it during his midweek visit to Notre Dame.
That feeling he got during his visit and his interaction with the Irish coaches and players left little doubt that he had found his future home.
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The 6-foot, 180-pound cornerback from Archbishop Alter High School in Dayton, Ohio committed to the Irish on Thursday, ending Notre Dame's one-month courtship of the three-star prospect.
"They obviously have the best of both worlds in terms of academics and athletics," Coleman said. "They play on a national stage every week too. I wanted to be a part of that."
Coleman landed the Notre Dame offer in late May and immediately made plans to visit the campus.
Along with his parents, he spent most of the day Wednesday on campus learning more about the school and the football program.
Instead of departing South Bend that night, the Coleman's stayed to deliver his commitment to the Irish coaching staff in person on Thursday.
"You know it when you know it and I knew it," Coleman said. "They turned us loose and we could have left (Wednesday) night but I wanted to stay so we just went out to eat and celebrated. I told the coaches this morning and we took some pictures and then I left."
Coleman knew Notre Dame was the place early in his visit.
"When I was talking to coach (Brian) VanGorder, the new defensive coordinator, he just told me the way they do things at Notre Dame and the way he coaches his corners," Coleman said. "Coach (Kerry) Cooks was the same way. I felt the vibe with them and I felt the vibe with the players as well."
Coleman spent time reconnecting with former Alter teammate Malik Zaire and Irish cornerback KeiVarae Russell.
"(Russell) said it was the best decision of his life coming here," Coleman said. "He said I could do good things there and they're all trying to win one this year."
After notifying Irish head coach Brian Kelly of his commitment to the program, Coleman received some advice from his future head coach.
"He was excited and he told me to get ready," Coleman said. "I knew what he meant. He said you've got to man up and tell the other schools you've committed here and to be ready for the media. I'm obviously ready to go there as well."
Coleman hopes to return to South Bend on June 20 for the Irish Invasion camp.
