Mike Woodson will step down as IU basketball coach after the 2024-25 season. Athletic director Scott Dolson is presently looking for this system’s thirty first head coach.
Contained in the Corridor will look at lots of the candidates being mentioned for the job over the approaching days and weeks. Our twelfth profile takes a have a look at Northwestern coach Chris Collins.
Beforehand: Dusty Might, Scott Drew, Mick Cronin, Greg McDermott, Buzz Williams, T.J. Otzelberger, Ben McCollum, Tommy Lloyd, Brad Brownell, Chris Beard, Will Wade
Now in his twelfth season in Evanston, Chris Collins has elevated the Northwestern program in one of many nation’s most troublesome leagues.
A 50-year-old native of Northbrook, Illinois, Collins was a McDonald’s All-American in highschool and performed for Mike Krzyzewski at Duke from 1992 by way of 1996. A 6-foot-2 guard, Collins averaged 9.1 factors for the Blue Devils and shot 38.8 p.c on 3s for his profession.
The son of former No. 1 NBA draft choose and longtime coach Doug Collins, Collins performed professionally for 2 years in Finland after graduating from Duke earlier than beginning his teaching profession.
His first cease was an assistant teaching job within the WNBA for the Detroit Shock, the place he spent one season below Nancy Lieberman. Collins departed the WNBA for Seton Corridor, the place he labored as an assistant for Tommy Amaker for 2 seasons.
Collins returned to his alma mater in 2000 to work below Krzyzewski, first as an assistant and later as this system’s affiliate coach. He was on the Duke bench for 2 nationwide championships, eight ACC event titles and 4 ACC regular-season titles. Throughout that very same interval, Collins additionally labored as a coach and scout for USA basketball’s senior nationwide crew from 2006 by way of 2012.
After 13 seasons on the Duke bench, Collins was lured house by Northwestern Athletic Director Jim Phillips to guide the Wildcat program within the spring of 2013. Northwestern, a standard Huge Ten doormat, had by no means reached the NCAA event earlier than hiring Collins.
In yr 4 of his tenure in Evanston, Collins led the Wildcats to its first ever look in March Insanity as a No. 8 seed. Northwestern, led by 25 factors from Indiana native Bryant McIntosh, beat Vanderbilt within the first spherical earlier than falling to top-seeded Gonzaga, 79-73, within the spherical of 32. The Zags reached the nationwide championship recreation that season. Northwestern received 24 video games that season.
Sadly for Collins, he couldn’t capitalize on the success of that 24-win marketing campaign and Northwestern had shedding information within the subsequent 5 seasons.
At a program with rigorous admission requirements, a restricted recruiting price range, and one of many decrease monetary commitments to basketball within the league, Collins stored grinding. Within the 2022-23 season, the Wildcats have been again within the NCAA event. Northwestern completed second within the Huge Ten within the 2022-23 season and Collins was named the league’s coach of the yr for the turnaround.
Led by fourth-year senior Boo Buie, Northwestern earned a No. 7 seed within the NCAA event, knocking off Boise State within the opening spherical. The Wildcats fell to No. 2 seed UCLA, 68-63, within the spherical of 32.
The Wildcats have been again within the NCAA event in 2024, his third journey to March Insanity in 11 seasons in Evanston. After incomes a pair of regular-season wins in opposition to AP top-10 opponents and successful 12 Huge Ten video games, Northwestern earned a No. 9 seed within the Huge Dance. The Wildcats beat Florida Atlantic and Dusty Might within the opening spherical earlier than falling to eventual nationwide champion UConn within the spherical of 32.
Northwestern has been set again by accidents to Brooks Barnhizer and Jalen Leach this season, however remains to be within the high 50 of KenPom getting into this week’s Huge Ten event in Indianapolis. Northwestern beat Indiana 79-70 on Jan. 22 and has received 5 straight in opposition to the Hoosiers courting again to the 2021-22 season. The Wildcats are the No. 13 seed and can play Minnesota on Wednesday.
Whether or not Collins will get severe consideration from Dolson isn’t identified — the IU athletic director is operating a buttoned-up search course of — however dismissing him as a candidate based mostly solely on his document at Northwestern could be short-sighted.
That’s to not say Collins is an ideal candidate or will even get a robust look, however as soon as the Hoosiers get previous the “house run” hires, each identify on the checklist may have drawbacks. For Collins, the sticking level might be the variety of shedding seasons he’s had in Evanston — seven to this point.
On the constructive aspect, Collins is extensively revered amongst his friends as a superb tactician on the sidelines. He’s elevated the Northwestern program regardless of having one of many league’s least proficient rosters on an annual foundation. The Wildcats are on monitor for his or her third straight end within the high 50 of KenPom, which is not any small feat for a program with Northwestern’s sources.
At Indiana, Collins could be flush with NIL and revenue-sharing sources and he has loads of expertise recruiting the nation’s most proficient gamers from his days at Duke.
Class: Teaching search
Filed to: Chris Collins
