Coleman was the owner of Bonitz of Georgia, a construction company which he started in 1954, and where he remained as board chairman until his death.

[2] Coleman began his political career as a Savannah City Council alderman during the Malcolm Maclean administration from 1962 to 1966.

During his term as Commission chairman, Coleman led the initiative to build the Chatham County Courthouse and jail.

In 1995, after leaving the Senate, Coleman was appointed by Governor Zell Miller to an at-large seat on the University System of Georgia Board of Regents.

[2][4][5] Coleman, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease in his later years, died in his native Savannah on June 4, 2014, at the age of 85.