Before she was The Bachelorette, Michelle Young was a single woman not afraid to slide into someone's DMs if she saw something she liked. Exhibit A: Joe Coleman from Michelle's season of The Bachelorette, who, according to a recently released clip from the premiere, had a previous encounter with the new lead online.
But first, the basics: Joe Coleman is a 6'4'', 28-year-old real estate developer from Minnesota who is looking for a partner that's "genuine, honest, funny, caring." His love language is "acts of service and quality time," he's a Gemini (so is Michelle), and, according to his recently liked tweets, he's a fan of Ted Lasso and Squid Game.
Per his official Bachelorette bio, Joe is an introvert who is afraid of spiders, "loves snacks" (#relatable), and "hopes to have at least three or four kids." But who is Joe Coleman beyond this jumble of platitudes? Unfortunately, social media stalking turned up very little — either he scrubbed his Instagram when the cast for Michelle's season was announced, or he's just never been that active on social. Regardless, here's what we do know.
Do Joe & Michelle Know Each Other?
A recently released clip from the premiere reveals that Michelle and Joe actually have a past, though the extent of their relationship is unclear. In the clip, which starts right after Joe and Michelle "meet," Michelle calls out to him, "Have I met you before?" And, finally, "Have I slid into your DMs? Is your last name Coleman?" BUSTED.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that since she didn't recognize him right when he stepped out of the limo, Joe and Michelle don't really know each other. She may have DM'd him, but she never said he responded! That said, there is some circumstantial evidence that points to how or why Michelle would have even come across Joe's profile in the first place.
He's A Former College Basketball Player
Joe was recruited by the University of Minnesota and played on the university team for at least two years. He even won the University's 2011 Gophers Dunk Contest. After his sophomore year, Joe transferred to St. Mary's University because he "wanted to go somewhere that I could expand my game" after a coach left Minnesota. He was there for about a year and a half before returning to the University of Minnesota to finish his college education. He graduated in 2016 with a degree in Business and Marketing Education.
During those same years, Michelle was playing basketball in college at Bradley University in Illinois, which could mean she and Joe ran in similar circles. The two also both played basketball in high school in their home state of Minnesota, which could be where their connection started.
He's Into Real Estate & Could Probably Build Michelle A House
Like Michelle, who also played college ball, Joe still loves the sport. His limited social media presence is full of photos of basketball legends and games he attends across the country, and, per his LinkedIn, his first job out of college was to cover basketball tournaments and other events for SportsEngine.
Unfortunately, Joe's not super active on Twitter or Instagram, which makes figuring out what he's been up to a little tricky. According to his LinkedIn and Instagram, he's busy working in real estate and fixing up homes (he has a whole Instagram highlight about painting houses).
He Loves His Mom
One thing Joe does share on social media: his love for his mom. His Instagram has multiple birthday posts for his mother, Julie, and, based on the comments by friends wishing Julie a happy birthday, it seems like his mom is also a big hit with his friends. He's also close with his nephew.
How Far Does Joe Get On Michelle's Season? (Spoilers Ahead)
Slight spoiler alert! It's unclear how far Joe makes it into Michelle's season, but he clearly has a great start. Early reports showed he got an early one-on-one with Michelle, which included going to a Minnesota Twins baseball game and throwing out the first pitch. According to various spoiler websites, it seems like Joe's one-on-one is early in the season, which could mean the two have an early connection that'll last throughout the season. Or it could mean he's sent home in the first few weeks. At least we know he won't follow in Grocery Store Joe's footsteps and get eliminated night one!
Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin