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WSSU Names Bobby Collins Head Men’s
Basketball Coach
September 5, 2006
WINSTON-SALEM, NC – Winston-Salem State
University has named Bobby Collins as the seventh
head coach of the Rams’ men’s
basketball program. He will become the first head coach in
the Division I men’s basketball era at WSSU.
WSSU Photo
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Bobby Collins |
Collins will lead the Rams into play at the
Division I level as WSSU continues its transition
from NCAA Division II and the Central Intercollegiate
Athletic Association (CIAA) to the Mid-Eastern
Athletic Conference (MEAC) and the nation’s
highest level of intercollegiate athletics
(NCAA Division I).
No stranger to the MEAC or Division I play,
Collins comes to WSSU following a tenure at
Hampton University where he spent four seasons
as head men’s basketball coach and was part
of the Pirates’ men’s basketball
program for 12 years.
During his time at Hampton, Collins was part
of three MEAC Championships (one as head coach)
and MEAC two runner-up finishes. His 2002-03
season (19-11) capped the winningest first-year
head coaching performance in Hampton history.
Among his coaching accomplishments are being
a part of a coaching staff at HU that saw the
Pirates defeat No.2 seed Iowa State in the
2001 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Prior to his head coaching duties at HU, Collins was a member
of a coaching staff that helped the Pirates complete their
own transition from NCAA Division II to Division I. Among his
duties he was responsible for recruiting, handling admissions
and financial matters, preseason conditioning, academics and
community relations.
Collins earned his bachelor’s degree
in business administration and management in
1991 from Eastern Kentucky University (EKU),
where he finished as a four-year letterman.
While wearing the Colonel uniform, Collins
was a member of the Ohio Valley Conference
(OVC) All-Freshmen Team and Honorable Mention
All-OVC as a senior. Following his collegiate
career, Collins played in the Helsinki, Finland
Classic earning MVP honors.
Collins’ coaching career began as a restricted earnings
coach with the Old Dominion Monarchs (1994-95). Under the leadership
of former Monarch Head Coach, Jeff Capel, Collins aided the
Monarchs to a Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) championship
and a first round victory over Villanova University in the
NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. Prior to
his stint at ODU, Collins served as an admissions counselor
at Eastern Kentucky University from 1992-94
The son of two non-denominational ministers, Collins is the
youngest of 10 siblings. He is a native of Southern Pines,
North Carolina, where he graduated from Pinecrest High School
and helped his squad to an 18-5 and 20-4 overall record during
his junior and senior seasons. In 1984, he earned All-State
honors and was conference Player of the Year.
“One of the key things that Coach Collins brings to us
is that he knows the MEAC and Division I well. He has proven
that he can win in the MEAC, demonstrating his excellence by
winning the conference championship last year and earning MEAC
Tournament Outstanding Coach honors. He has post-season experience
not only in the MEAC tournament but in the NCAA tournament
and most importantly, he is committed to winning not only on
the court, but in the classroom. He comes from an institution
[Hampton University] of the highest academic standing and his
student-athletes do well in the classroom, and that was extremely
important to us” WSSU Director of Athletics, Dr. Chico
Caldwell said.
“Coach Collins is a native of North Carolina and during
his tenure at Hampton he recruited and coached quality players
from North Carolina and we are certain that he will do that
here at WSSU. The championship rings speak for themselves,
but his experience speaks even louder as he was an assistant
coach at Hampton when the Pirates moved to Division I and he
was also a part of the coaching staff at HU that upset the
Big 12 champion Iowa State Cyclones in the NCAA Tournament.
His experience will be invaluable as we enter into Division
I play and we are extremely excited to welcome Coach Collins
to the WSSU family.”
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