Born in Newark, New Jersey on February 17, 1949, Coleman was raised in Montclair, New Jersey and attended Montclair High School, where he played baseball and football, earning a selection as a New Jersey All-American halfback during his senior year.[2] He played both sports at Princeton University and became the first black athlete to score a touchdown for the Princeton Tigers football team but joined two other black players in filing charges that the university had discriminated against them in their opportunities to fairly participate on the football team based on their race, leading to the dismissal of all three players from the team.[3]
Coleman graduated from Princeton University in 1971 with a degree in history, then attended Harvard University, where he earned both a master's degree in public administration (MPA) and a master's degree in education and social policy.[4]
^Staff. "Len Coleman: the National League's new president takes charge", Ebony, June 1994. Accessed September 1, 2016. "Coleman's route to the presidency took a number of turns, but he came with a wealth of experience and a strong athletic background. He grew up in Montclair; N.J., and excelled in baseball and football at Montclair High School. In his senior year, he was an All-American halfback, and the ring he still wears today is evidence that he was a part of New Jersey's All-State backfield that included Joe Theismann, Franco Harris and Jack Tatum, all of whom went on to the NFL."
^Ben-Joseph, Robin. "Kean nominates Villane to Cabinet"Archived 2013-09-24 at the Wayback Machine, Red Bank Register, July 8, 1988. Accessed September 1, 2016. "If approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee and the full Senate, Villane will replace Coleman, an Atlantic Highlands resident who resigned effective July 15 to enter private business."