Collins to New Mexico State?
Mar 17, 2005 10:46:48 GMT -5
Post by Big D on Mar 17, 2005 10:46:48 GMT -5
NMSU hoops legend interested in coaching for his alma mater
By Geoff Grammer/Sun-News Sports Editor
Mar 17, 2005, 12:01 am
He brought pride and respect to Las Cruces as a part of the 1970 Aggie basketball Final Four team.
Now, Jimmy Collins wants to do it again.
“For me to say I’m not interested in my alma mater, not interested in returning to the place where it all started for me, that would be foolish,” Collins said Wednesday night.
Collins, a 1970 All-American for the Aggies and first-round draft choice of the Chicago Bulls, is currently coaching at Division I Illinois-Chicago. Collins, a former assistant at Illinois under Lou Henson, said Wednesday that he has not spoken directly with NMSU athletics director McKinley Boston about the job, but Boston confirmed earlier this week he is aware Collins is interested and plans to talk to the coach.
“I do have a job, and I’m not in a situation where I’m trying to run away from anything,” Collins said. “But NMSU has something that a lot of programs don’t have: history. It has a tradition. It’s been to a Final Four. There are programs that haven’t even been to an (NCAA) tournament, but NMSU has been to the top... How could I turn my back on my university.”<br>
Collins said he is familiar with NMSU’s situation and players, and despite the team just completing one of its more frustrating seasons ever at 6-24, he sees plenty of promise in the job. He likes the recruiting that Henson, who retired in January, and interim head coach Tony Stubblefield have done for the 2005-06 season.
Henson said Collins would be a good fit for NMSU, if he’d be willing to take a pay cut. Collins told a reporter Wednesday, “the dollar signs are something that haven’t crossed my mind until you asked the question.” He added he has played in the NBA and been a successful coach for several years and money isn’t the only factor in taking a new job.
“At NMSU, you can get an entire city behind you,” Collins said. “It’s a basketball town and doesn’t have to compete much with other universities for support.”<br>
Boston said there have been about 35 official applicants and numerous others who have been invloved in informal conversations about the job. He still plans on a tentative hire date of early April for the new coach.
In his nine seasons coaching UIC, a team that had never before played in the postseason, Collins has led his squad to three NCAA Tournaments (1998, 2002 and 2004) and one NIT appearance (2003). Collins is UIC’s alltime winningest coach with 146 wins.
www.lcsun-news.com/artman/publish/article_14053.shtml
By Geoff Grammer/Sun-News Sports Editor
Mar 17, 2005, 12:01 am
He brought pride and respect to Las Cruces as a part of the 1970 Aggie basketball Final Four team.
Now, Jimmy Collins wants to do it again.
“For me to say I’m not interested in my alma mater, not interested in returning to the place where it all started for me, that would be foolish,” Collins said Wednesday night.
Collins, a 1970 All-American for the Aggies and first-round draft choice of the Chicago Bulls, is currently coaching at Division I Illinois-Chicago. Collins, a former assistant at Illinois under Lou Henson, said Wednesday that he has not spoken directly with NMSU athletics director McKinley Boston about the job, but Boston confirmed earlier this week he is aware Collins is interested and plans to talk to the coach.
“I do have a job, and I’m not in a situation where I’m trying to run away from anything,” Collins said. “But NMSU has something that a lot of programs don’t have: history. It has a tradition. It’s been to a Final Four. There are programs that haven’t even been to an (NCAA) tournament, but NMSU has been to the top... How could I turn my back on my university.”<br>
Collins said he is familiar with NMSU’s situation and players, and despite the team just completing one of its more frustrating seasons ever at 6-24, he sees plenty of promise in the job. He likes the recruiting that Henson, who retired in January, and interim head coach Tony Stubblefield have done for the 2005-06 season.
Henson said Collins would be a good fit for NMSU, if he’d be willing to take a pay cut. Collins told a reporter Wednesday, “the dollar signs are something that haven’t crossed my mind until you asked the question.” He added he has played in the NBA and been a successful coach for several years and money isn’t the only factor in taking a new job.
“At NMSU, you can get an entire city behind you,” Collins said. “It’s a basketball town and doesn’t have to compete much with other universities for support.”<br>
Boston said there have been about 35 official applicants and numerous others who have been invloved in informal conversations about the job. He still plans on a tentative hire date of early April for the new coach.
In his nine seasons coaching UIC, a team that had never before played in the postseason, Collins has led his squad to three NCAA Tournaments (1998, 2002 and 2004) and one NIT appearance (2003). Collins is UIC’s alltime winningest coach with 146 wins.
www.lcsun-news.com/artman/publish/article_14053.shtml