Ryan Coogler was swimming in student loan debt while pursuing filmmaking. Today, he has a multi-million-dollar net worth and a collection of coveted awards.

Filmmaking initially was not on the table for the Oakland, CA native. As a child, he wanted to be an NFL player, with a backup plan to become a doctor, according to Sports Illustrated. He played football while at St. Mary’s College High School in Berkeley, CA. 

He then went on to attend St. Mary’s College of California for undergrad, where he earned a football scholarship. There, he took a creative writing course taught by Rosemary Graham, which planted a seed that would shift Coogler’s career expectations.

“She read something that I wrote and told me I should write screenplays … She sat me down, ‘I think you should go to Hollywood and write screenplays.’ So I had that in the back of my head. Started thinking about it. Started writing on my own a little bit,” Coogler said on the “WTF with Marc Maron” podcast.

When the college’s football program was discontinued, he transferred to Sacramento State, reports Sports Illustrated. He took film courses while completing his degree, and after graduation, pursued a master’s program at USC School of Cinematic Arts. During this time, Oakland, CA, resident Oscar Grant was murdered by police officer Johannes Mehserle, which inspired Coogler’s first feature film “Fruitvale Station,“ which he wrote and directed, notes Sports Illustrated. Michael B. Jordan held the starring role.

Coogler developed the script through the Sundance Screenwriters Lab in January 2012, which offered him creative advice and resources throughout the film, according to Sundance. He was also assisted by creative advisors Tyger Williams, Jessie Nelson, and Zach Sklar, and underwent various rewrites.

While finishing film school, Coogler had the chance to meet with award-winning actor Forest Whitaker, who went on to serve as a producer of “Fruitvale Station,” per Sundance.

The film premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, winning the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award, notes the organization. At the box office, it generated $17.4 million globally off a $90,000 budget, per IMDb.

Coogler’s next project was “Creed,” a “Rocky” franchise spinoff that also featured Jordan, who has remained a constant collaborator of Coogler’s. The film was released in 2015, and Coogler was still swimming in student loan debt.

“Back then, bro, I wasn’t making no money,” he said on the “WTF with Marc Maron” podcast. “I was $200,000 in debt for film school. It was bad.”

Today, Coogler reports a net worth of $25 million, per Celebrity Net Worth. Most recently, his film, “Sinners,” was awarded 16 nominations and four wins, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film earned $365.7 million worldwide, according to IMDb.

“Sinners” also won for best original screenplay, marking Coogler’s first Oscar win. Coogler was the second Black writer to earn the award, joining Jordan Peele, per the Guardian.

As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Coogler’s wins for “Sinners” also include securing full ownership of the film in 25 years, final cut rights, and a percentage of the film’s box office return.