Sport(s) Basketball Overall 218–208 (.512) Positions Basketball positions 1996–2010 UIC Height 1.88 m | 1983–1996 Illinois (asst.) Role Basketball player 1967–1970 New Mexico State Name Jimmy Collins | |
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Born November 24, 1946 (age 77)
Syracuse, New York ( 1946-11-24 ) Education Corcoran High School, New Mexico State University | ||
Uic s jimmy collins on 1989 final four illini players
James Earl Collins (born (1946-11-24)November 24, 1946) is a retired American basketball player and coach. He was born and raised in Syracuse, New York, where he attended Corcoran High School. Collins was the head coach of the men's basketball team at the University of Illinois at Chicago from 1996 to 2010, becoming the program's all-time winningest coach and leading UIC to its first-ever postseason appearances - NCAA Tournament appearances in 1998, 2002 and 2004, and an NIT showing in 2003.
Contents
- Uic s jimmy collins on 1989 final four illini players
- Early life and playing career
- Coaching career
- References
Early life and playing career
Born and raised in Syracuse, New York, Collins graduated from Corcoran High School and played college basketball at New Mexico State University under head coach Lou Henson. As a senior, Collins was the captain of an Aggie squad that reached the 1970 Final Four.
Collins was then drafted in the first round of the 1970 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls. After two seasons with the Bulls, Collins played half a season with the Carolina Cougars of the ABA.
Coaching career
Collins began his coaching career with one and a half years as a graduate assistant at New Mexico State after retiring from professional basketball. In 1976, Collins returned to Chicago to start a trucking business. From 1977 to 1983, Collins was a probation officer for Cook County, Illinois. Collins also returned to coaching in 1980 as volunteer head coach at St. Thomas Elementary School in Chicago.
From 1983 to 1996, Collins was an assistant at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Illinois) under Lou Henson. There he had made a name for himself as one of the nation's best recruiters, helping lure Chicago area players such as eventual NBA veterans like Kendall Gill, Nick Anderson and the bulk of the Fighting Illini's 1989 Final Four team.
In 1996, Collins became head coach at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). In 14 seasons, Collins had a 218–208 record, including three NCAA Tournament appearances in 1998, 2002, and 2004. On July 20, 2010, Collins announced his retirement from coaching.