MOBILE, Ala. – Earlier this fall, the University of South Alabama athletic department and men's basketball program received a gift from Barry Jamel Coleman for naming rights of the men's locker room facility in honor of his father, Barry James Coleman.

"We deeply appreciate the generosity and kindness this gift demonstrates," Director of Athletics Joel Erdmann said.  "The deep bond developed between a son and a father in-part through the sport of basketball is special and serves as an example of how people can support the University and honor a loved one.  Thank you to both Barry Jamel and Barry James, they are both true leaders of the Jaguar men's basketball program and the University of South Alabama."

The sport of basketball had played an important role in the development of the father/son relationship, and the younger Coleman was looking at a way to honor his father.

"I wanted to find a way to honor my dad," Barry Jamel Coleman said. "He was a basketball coach when I was a little boy and he used to always take me to basketball practice. Once I was in fifth grade, he brought me to my first basketball camp at South Alabama. Ever since then, we developed a bond through basketball. I attended many other basketball camps, but the one that stood out and taught me the most fundamentally was here at South. We were able to communicate through those similar experiences with him having played and coached basketball. I was able to learn a lot of life lessons."

"Jamel was really passionate about basketball and when he was in fifth grade, I began bringing him to at least two basketball camps a year at South Alabama all the way through 12th grade," Barry James Coleman, who had a 28-year coaching career as a basketball coach at both the middle and high school levels said. "I would sit there the entire time during those four-day camps. He really learned a lot from those coaches and it provided me a great time for us to get really close. For him to come back and name this in my honor was very overwhelming, especially after having already started a scholarship in my mom's name previously.

"Most of the time when things are named in honor of someone, it is done after they've passed on, but for him to do it while I'm still alive meant the world to me."

The gift was initiated through Rebecca Baker, a development officer with the college of nursing who told him that there were other naming opportunities available throughout the campus. Barry Jamel Coleman toured the locker room area and met coach Richie Riley. After that meeting, he went to the team's locker room and felt like the best way he could honor his dad would be to name the area after him. 

Both Colemans are graduates of South Alabama as the younger Coleman had come through the nursing program, while his dad received a degree in physical education. 

His father had graduated high school in 1970 and began his college career at Auburn-Montgomery as a member of the basketball team, but wasn't able to finish degree. The elder Coleman went to Alabama Southern to get his associate degree and returned to South Alabama and walked across the stage as a graduate 30 years later in 2009. 

"South means a lot to me and he saw that," Barry James Coleman said of his son honoring him this way.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the South Circle, the unrestricted giving option of the University of South Alabama Athletics.  Contributions to the South Circle directly support all 17 sports in addition to various support programming. For more information on how you can join visit: http://jaguarathleticfund.com/give

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