Therran Coleman transfers to Western Michigan

Pitt defensive back Therran Coleman entered the transfer portal in December after four seasons with the Panthers, and on Friday, it was revealed that he will head to Kalamazoo, Michigan, to play for the Western Michigan Broncos of the MAC in the 2020 season.

Coleman played in 34 games at Pitt between 2017 and 2019 after redshirting as a true freshman in 2016. He graduated from Pitt last month, and as a graduate transfer, he will be eligible to play for the Broncos immediately.

The 6’0”, 200-pound defensive back is a Pittsburgh native who starred at Brashear High School in 2014 and 2015, leading the Bulls to two straight City League titles as one of the team’s captains. He also won back-to-back City League Player of the Year honors.

Despite the accolades he brought with him to Pitt, he struggled to carve out a niche for himself in the team’s secondary and found himself continually in a support role, playing special teams and reserve safety. But in Kalamazoo, he should get an opportunity to play a more meaningful role on a MAC team that lost its two starting safeties, Stefan Claiborne and Justin Tranquill, to graduation.

Coleman joins a Western Michigan program that went 7-6 in 2019 and most recently played in the First Responder Bowl in Dallas, suffering a 23-20 defeat to Western Kentucky on a last-second field goal.

Among Panthers fans, Coleman will be best remembered for his game-saving interception in Pitt's 44-37 overtime win over Syracuse on Oct. 6, 2018. The defensive back finished his Pitt career with 18 tackles, one interception and one forced fumble.