In five seasons at Absegami, Colman directed the Braves to a 40-15 record and four NJSIAA playoff appearances.

"I enjoyed coaching here," said Colman, who is still a physical education teacher at the school, "but in the last couple years, some college coaching opportunities have opened up and I want to move on and be able to pursue them."

Colman, 34, said he was exploring an assistant coaching position at his alma mater, the University of Nebraska.

A former standout linebacker at Ocean City High and Nebraska, Colman later played for the New York Giants (1996-98), Tennessee Titans (1999) and Cleveland Browns (2000). He played on the Titans' team that reached the Super Bowl after the '99 season, and he was one of the blockers for one of the most famous plays in NFL history - dubbed the "Music City Miracle" - in Tennessee's 22-16 playoff win over Buffalo on Jan. 8, 2000. The Titans used two laterals to score on a 75-yard kickoff return with three seconds left.

"My dad [Wayne] was blocking for the Saints when Tom Dempsey kicked his 63-yard field goal [in 1970], so we were on two of the most famous special-teams plays in history," Doug Colman said.

Last spring, Colman coached linebackers for Amsterdam in NFL Europe.

Absegami went 7-4 and 7-3 in Colman's first two years (2003-04), then set a school record for wins by going 10-2 in 2005. That season ended with a heartbreaking 32-25 overtime loss to Cherokee in the South Jersey Group 4 final.

In 2006, Absegami avenged that loss and defeated the Chiefs, 27-26, to win its first sectional title. The Braves, who won the crown on a TD and conversion kick with less than 33 seconds left, finished 11-1 and set a single-season school record for wins.

Last year's team went 5-5.

Colman said he has a lot of fond memories from his Absegami stint.

"I'm going to remember the hardest-working guy and one of the best players I ever had, [quarterback] Mike Isgro," he said. "I'm going to remember losing the [sectional] championship and then coming back and winning it the next year. We won our first conference championship and then won three in a row, and we won the first playoff game in the school's history and went to the playoffs four year in a row.

"There were some great kids and great assistant coaches, and there's going to be a good group of players coming back."

or scarchidi@phillynews.com.