Kansas coaches won battle for Keon Coleman with team effort

When Keon Coleman said he would make his final decision and announcement on the Fourth of July, the overwhelming predictions came in for Oklahoma. But the combination of Emmett Jones, Les Miles, and Bill Self won out.

Coleman provided his own fireworks on Saturday evening announcing he was headed to the University of Kansas.

During the recruiting process Coleman told Jayhawk Slant several times he wanted to go where he felt comfortable and that battle was won by the Kansas coaches.

Jones, the wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator, was out in front during the recruiting process. Coleman’s offer list was filled with multiple Power Five programs, but Jones always had Kansas near the top.

“I did a lot of research and he's coached some good receivers,” Coleman said of Jones. “They have a good receiver from East Ascension who is coming in there (Steven McBride) this year. I watched some of the highlights on some receivers that he’s coached, and he’s had some good ones."

In three years, Jones coached six players at Texas Tech who played in the NFL. It was Jones approach that also stood out with Coleman.

“We talked quite a bit, and I really like him,” Coleman said of Jones. “He's a cool dude. He keeps it 100 percent, and he's straightforward. He's not going to beat around the bush to make it sound better. He's going to give it to you how it is.”

Coleman held early offers from Penn State, Florida State, Baylor, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, and several other schools.

But Coleman had another side to his recruiting that was different than most highly-regarded football prospects. Basketball also figured in his decision.

In 2019, Coleman was voted first team, all-state football and basketball in Louisiana. He had division one basketball offers and plans to play both sports at Kansas.

One of the key moments in the recruiting process came last month when Coleman was set up to do a Zoom meeting with the football coaches. At the beginning of the call the football coaches told Coleman, Bill Self would be joining the call.

“They said Bill Self wanted to join and make it like a two-for-one call,” he said. “I was like whoa. And we started talking and it went from there. It was the first time I talked to Coach Self.”

Self told Coleman he can do a lot of things on the basketball court that can’t be taught, and he liked his athleticism.

Kansas head coach Les Miles was also a key in the recruiting and combined with Self, gave the Jayhawks two Hall of Fame coaches in the picture along with Jones. Coleman said all along, he wanted to play both sports at the next level.

Coleman knew where he stood with Kansas based off the effort Jones used in recruiting him for football. Having the chance to talk with Self about his future in basketball, only helped cement Kansas.

“It showed that they want me for both sports,” he said. “It’s a good opportunity. They are all good people. Coach Miles was telling me he wants to help me get that Heisman.”

Rivals.com recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman said Coleman “is a bonafide star in both sports.” The Jayhawks are getting one of the best athletes in the country. At 6-foot-4, 190 pounds Coleman also picked off seven passes playing on defense. In track he runs the 4x200m, 4x400, long jump, and triple jump.

In the end Coleman narrowed his choices to Kansas, Oklahoma, and South Carolina. While most people predicted the Sooners, it was the Kansas coaches in both sports that won the battle for one of the top receivers in Louisiana.