Vernell Coles was born Apr 22, 1968 in Covington, Virginia. Coles was a standout at Greenbrier East High School in Lewisburg, West Virginia. He played his college basketball for the Virginia Tech Hokies for four seasons (1986–87 to 1989–90). He was a member of the United States 1988 Olympic basketball team which won a bronze medal. His NBA career started when he was selected by the Sacramento Kings in the 1990 NBA Draft. He was immediately traded to the Miami Heat in exchange for veteran guard Rory Sparrow. After Coles' first of the two times he played with the Miami Heat, he was traded to the Golden State Warriors. He also played for the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtics. He was utilized primarily as a backup point guard.