Coffman was born in Veto, Alabama, a "little town about 25 feet south of the Tennessee state line." He graduated from high school in Athens, Alabama. Coffman\'s older brother, Dick Coffman, was a major league pitcher for 15 seasons. The older brother made his major league debut in April 1927 while "Slick" was a 16-year-old high school student.\n', '

After graduating from high school, Coffman played semi-professional baseball with the local team in Athens, a member of the Bee Line League. After one year with Athens, he played with minor league team in Montgomery, Alabama, and Dothan in the South Atlantic League. He won 12 games and lost 10 in 1934 for the Charleroi Tigers in the Pennsylvania State Association.\n', '

\n', 'Coffman\'s pitching ultimately drew the attention of major league scouts, and he was signed by the Detroit Tigers. In 1935, Coffman was assigned to the Charleston Senators in the Middle Atlantic League. Despite an 8-13 record in 1935, Coffman\'s 2.87 earned run average and his fastball showed promise. In September 1935, the Tigers announced that Coffman would report to Beaumont, Texas for the 1936 season. At the time, the Charleston Daily Mail summarized Coffman\'s performance and prospects as follows:

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