My first coyote kill was a nearly black(think like a really dark brindle color) over in Chatom. It was years before I saw another dark one but lots of reddish in the coats with some much more resembling the very pale western look. I've come across a few coy-dogs including one I killed in Monroe county that looked every bit as big as my GSD in the field. It was almost jet black and was a tad over 80 pounds.