Curtis Coleman was a star football player at Escambia County High School. He played in the Alabama All-Star game in 1976. Coleman later played football at Livingston between 1976-80 before earning his degree.

He served as a Huffman assistant coach in the early 1980s to Jerry Partridge. In 1988 he took over as the head football coach at Ensley. In six seasons at the helm his teams made the playoffs every season after his first year.

When Partridge retired from public school teaching and became head coach of Coosa Valley Academy of the Alabama Independent School Association, Coleman became the head football coach at Huffman in 1994.

In twelve seasons at Huffman his teams made the playoffs seven times. His 2000 and 2001 teams finished the regular season with 10-0 records. Coach Coleman would move over to Shades Valley in 2006 for the next five seasons where he served as head football coach and athletic director. He remained at the school for five years.

In 2011 he landed at Clay-Chalkville as the Cougars defensive line coach under Jerry Hood, a friend and one of his former players. He taught physical education at the school.

Coleman compiled a 129-120 record at Ensley, Huffman and Shades Valley as a head coach. He served as a District 5 representative to the Alabama High School Athletic Associations Central Board of Control. His tenure in the Birmingham City Schools system was 24 years before moving to Clay-Chalkville.