▁ 1 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁US D ▁sal ary ▁per ▁year . ▁ ▁Cole man ▁is ▁cred ited ▁with ▁prov ing ▁the ▁ability ▁of ▁wrest lers ▁to ▁domin ate ▁in ▁the ▁developing ▁sport ▁of ▁mixed ▁mart ial ▁arts , ▁and ▁with ▁being ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁in ▁American ▁M MA ▁to ▁successfully ▁use ▁the ▁strategy ▁that ▁he ▁co ined ; ▁ground - and - p ound , ▁ear ning ▁him ▁the ▁distinction ▁as ▁" The ▁God father ▁of ▁Gr ound ▁& ▁P ound ". ▁ ▁Background ▁Cole man ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁F rem ont , ▁Ohio , ▁U . S . ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 4 . ▁He ▁began ▁fre est yle ▁wrest ling ▁as ▁a ▁te en ager ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁state ▁champion ▁wrest ler ▁for ▁Saint ▁Joseph ▁Central ▁Catholic ▁High ▁School ▁( F rem ont , ▁Ohio ). ▁He ▁then ▁finished ▁second ▁in ▁his ▁s oph om ore ▁year ▁before ▁claim ing ▁his ▁second ▁state ▁championship ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 3 . ▁ ▁He ▁continued ▁to ▁wrest le ▁for ▁Miami ▁University , ▁in ▁Ohio , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁two ▁time ▁Mid - American ▁Conference ▁wrest ling ▁champion ▁and ▁earned ▁his ▁first ▁All - American ▁hon ors ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 . ▁In ▁his ▁senior ▁year , ▁he ▁transferred ▁to ▁The ▁Ohio ▁State ▁University ▁and ▁won ▁an ▁NCAA ▁championship ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 . ▁Out ▁of ▁college , ▁he ▁started ▁as ▁an ▁assistant ▁coach ▁at