 After beginning his career at club level with Ballinhassig, Coleman joined the Cork minor team as a 16-year-old in 1967 and won an All-Ireland Minor Championship in his debut year.After winning back-to-back All-Ireland Under-21 Championships, he was promoted to the Cork senior team in 1970.Coleman eventually succeeded Paddy Barry as Cork's first-choice goalkeeper and made a total of 19 championship appearances in a career that ended with his last appearance in 1980.