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| Position | Tight end | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1969-08-16)August 16, 1969 (age 56) Greenwood, South Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 245 lb (111 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Greenwood | ||||||||
| College | Livingstone (1987-1990) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1991: 5th round, 124th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Ben Terrence Coates Jr. (born August 16, 1969) is an American former professionalfootballtight end who played in theNational Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons, primarily with theNew England Patriots. He playedcollege football for theLivingstone Blue Bears and was selected by the Patriots in the fifth round of the1991 NFL draft, where spent all but one season of his NFL career. In his final season, he was a member of theBaltimore Ravens.
During his nine seasons with the Patriots, Coates received fivePro Bowl and two first-teamAll-Pro selections. He also made an appearance inSuper Bowl XXXI. After being released by the Patriots, Coates signed with the Ravens and was part of the team that wonSuper Bowl XXXV. Coates pursued a coaching career following his retirement, serving as the head coach at his alma mater Livingstone and the tight ends coach for theCleveland Browns. He was named to the secondNFL 1990s All-Decade Team in 2000 and inducted to theNew England Patriots Hall of Fame in 2008.
Coates was born on August 16, 1969, inGreenwood, South Carolina, the youngest of eight children[1] of Ben Coates Sr. and Mozella Coates. His oldest brother Gary Coates, was a significant influence, pushing him towards college and staying committed to working out and catching balls daily. Coates did not play football until hissenior year atGreenwood High School.
At Livingstone, Coates became a multi-sport athlete, competing in bothfootball andbasketball. On the football field, he emerged as a dominant tight end, setting school records with 103 receptions for 1,268 yards and 18 touchdowns. He joinedPhi Beta Sigma Fraternity, becoming a member through the Untouchable Upsilon Chapter on campus. Despite playing in the CIAA, a small-schoolDivision II conference with limited national attention, Coates’s on-field production made him one of the top tight end prospects in the country. He was later inducted into theCentral Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Hall of Fame in 2018.[2]
Considered an out-of-nowhere prospect, Coates was selected in the fifth round of the1991 NFL draft by theNew England Patriots.[3][4] His first two years with the Patriots were fairly uneventful; in his rookie year he had ten catches for 95 yards and a two-yard touchdown against theIndianapolis Colts that forced overtime in a 23–17 Patriots win. In his second season, he had 20 catches for 171 yards and three touchdowns.
His career changed with the 1993 arrival ofquarterbackDrew Bledsoe andhead coachBill Parcells to the Patriots franchise. Parcells, known for his reliance on tight ends, frequently used then-rookie quarterback Bledsoe on passes to Coates, and the tight end led the Patriots in receptions in 1993 with 53 catches for 629 yards and eight scores, two of them in New England's season-ending overtime win overMiami.
In 1994, his breakout year, he caught 96 passes, the most ever for a tight end to that point,[5] breaking a record previously set byTodd Christensen in 1986 (the record was later broken byTony Gonzalez in 2004), for 1,174 yards receiving, the only time in his career he would gain 1,000 yards in a receiving season, while also scoring seven touchdowns. He appeared in his first of five consecutivePro Bowls.
In 1996, Coates had 62 catches for 682 yards and nine touchdowns; the most dramatic was against theNew York Giants in the final game of the regular season as he caught a 12-yard pass and bulled through Giants defenders for the game-winning score of a 23–22 New England win. His efforts helped New England to a championship appearance inSuper Bowl XXXI. His team lost the game, 35–21, but he had a good performance in it, leading the Patriots in receiving with 6 catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. From 1995 to 1998, he caught 84, 62, 66, and 67 passes, respectively, in those four seasons.
After the 1999 season, which saw a significant decline in production, Coates was released by the Patriots. He subsequently played for theBaltimore Ravens, where he climbed the all-time receiving charts and wonSuper Bowl XXXV in the process. When Coates was released by the Ravens in the following year, he decided to retire, having become the fourth all-time leading receiver at tight end in NFL history, behindOzzie Newsome, former teammateShannon Sharpe, andKellen Winslow. Coates played in 158 games with 499 receptions for 5,555 yards and 50 touchdowns.
After retiring, Coates returned to Livingstone College, where he was head coach, and also coached inNFL Europe. In 2004, he served an internship with theDallas Cowboys as an assistant for the tight ends, reuniting him with head coach Parcells. In March 2005, Coates was named the tight ends coach for theCleveland Browns, replacingRob Chudzinski, under head coachRomeo Crennel, who had been the defensive line coach of the Patriots while Coates was with the team.
It was announced on July 7, 2008, that Coates would be inducted into theNew England Patriots Hall of Fame. During his playing days with the Patriots, Coates was a fan favorite and was given the nickname "Winter" (as in "winter coat"), in addition to Ben "Technicolor Dream" Coates byESPN commentatorChris Berman.
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft4+1⁄2 in (1.94 m) | 243 lb (110 kg) | 35 in (0.89 m) | 10 in (0.25 m) | 4.95 s | 1.76 s | 2.92 s | 4.56 s | 28.0 in (0.71 m) | 9 ft 1 in (2.77 m) | 15 reps |
| Year | Team | GP | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FD | Fum | Lost | |||
| 1991 | NE | 16 | 10 | 95 | 9.5 | 17 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 1992 | NE | 16 | 20 | 171 | 8.6 | 22 | 3 | 55 | 1 | 1 |
| 1993 | NE | 16 | 53 | 659 | 12.4 | 54 | 8 | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 | NE | 16 | 96 | 1,174 | 12.2 | 62 | 7 | 65 | 2 | 1 |
| 1995 | NE | 16 | 84 | 915 | 10.9 | 35 | 6 | 51 | 4 | 4 |
| 1996 | NE | 16 | 62 | 682 | 11.0 | 84 | 9 | 37 | 1 | 1 |
| 1997 | NE | 16 | 66 | 737 | 11.2 | 35 | 8 | 37 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | NE | 14 | 67 | 668 | 10.0 | 33 | 6 | 45 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | NE | 16 | 32 | 370 | 11.6 | 27 | 2 | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | BAL | 16 | 9 | 84 | 9.3 | 28 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 158 | 499 | 5,555 | 11.1 | 84 | 50 | 308 | 8 | 7 | |
After retiring from the NFL, Coates began his coaching career atLivingstone College, his alma mater, serving as an offensive assistant from 2001 to 2004. During his tenure, he worked as theoffensive line coach, quarterbacks coach, and wide receivers coach before becomingoffensive coordinator.
In 2004, he was invited to join theDallas Cowboys as an assistant during training camp. Hand-picked by head coachBill Parcells, Coates assisted in the evaluation and development of the tight ends group.
Later in 2004, Coates joined theFrankfurt Galaxy ofNFL Europe as an assistant offensive coach for tight ends. The team finished the season with a 7–3 record, placing second in the league, and went on to compete inWorld Bowl XII.
From 2005 to 2007, Coates served as the tight ends coach for theCleveland Browns. He managed the overall development of the tight end group and contributed to offensive game planning, scouting, and scripting. In 2006, under Coates’ coaching, tight endKellen Winslow II recorded 89 receptions for 875 yards and 3 touchdowns — setting a franchise record for single-season receptions by a tight end and ranking 2nd in the NFL in tight end receptions, and 3rd in receiving yards by a tight end.
From 2009 to 2012, Coates served as the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator atCentral State University in Ohio. In this role, he was responsible for implementing a comprehensive offensive system, supervising assistant coaches, and recruiting student-athletes.
Coates later worked as an assistant football coach atSaint Augustine’s University from 2013 to 2014, coaching wide receivers and supporting overall team development.
Coates is the father of nine children: Lauren, Brianna, Bre'Yana, Gabriella, Brittany, Ben III, Anthony, Christopher, and Natasha. He has described his greatest accomplishment in life as "being able to see all my kids being able to see and make sure they all go to school so they can be successful in life." He has spoken publicly about the deep pride he feels watching his children grow and succeed, emphasizing education andcharacter as his top priorities as a parent.
Two of his sons have followed in his athletic footsteps by playing college football atLivingstone College, Coates’salma mater. His son Ben Coates III playstight end, while his son Christopher Coates playslinebacker. Despite their athletic potential, Coates has stressed that education comes first, stating that the most important goal is for them to obtain theircollege degrees, regardless of any future in professional sports.
Coates maintains a strong connection to his hometown ofGreenwood, South Carolina, and has continued to be involved inmentoring young athletes and supporting youth development both on and off the field.[1]
