VSU selects a familiar face: Austin Peay assistant Collins is a former player/coach in the Trojans' basketball program
BY VIC FULP
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Mar 24, 2005
He has returned as the men's head coach.
Collins has been a men's assistant coach at NCAA Division I Austin Peay University the past 15 years.
" I am very, very pleased to introduce a man with good experience and one of our own - Mr. Tony Collins," VSU President Eddie N. Moore Jr. said yesterday in the official announcement at the VSU gathering. "This is a new beginning for men's basketball at Virginia State."
Collins stood in front of the press conference with an awe of confidence and pride at the opportunity to coach at the school where he played.
" I met with the kids [Tuesday] night and told them that President Moore was going to hold me accountable and that I was going to hold them accountable," Collins said. "I want to keep it simple. If we do the fundamentals, we will win. I learned a lot at Austin Peay. And in between, we can have fun."
Collins' coaching career began at VSU. He also made stops at Friends University, Miami of Ohio and Fayetteville State.
" I am proud to be here," Collins said. "This is my home. It will take a little time to build a program, but I believe in discipline and hard work."
Collins said he is willing to adapt to making the best use of the talent available and using the style his personnel dictates, but he knows what he wants when it comes to recruiting.
High on his list of newcomers will be a point guard. He also said he would like to bring in one more big man and another wing player.
" Offensively, I like to play the game inside-out - getting the ball in the paint," he said. "Defensively, I like the man-to-man. Even when you are playing zone, you have to use man-to-man principles.
" And I do like full-court pressure."
At Austin Peay, Collins enjoyed five trips in the past six years to the Ohio Valley Conference championship game.
This year's showdown with eventual NCAA representative Eastern Kentucky ended in a five-point loss.
The Governors made a trip to the NCAA playoffs two years ago, losing to Louisville. Last year, in the NIT, they suffered a second-round defeat at the hands of George Mason.
" At Austin Peay I wasn't making the decisions [as a head coach]," Collins said, "but I was in on them and learned a lot under coach [David Loos, who ran the show the whole time Collins was there]."
At VSU, Collins is replacing John Hill, who was 34-42 in his three seasons.
Five seniors, four who played key roles have departed, including leading scorer Bryan Scott (11.6 points per game).
A key returnee will be rising senior Avis Wyatt, a 6-10 product of Petersburg High School. After leading the CIAA in blocked shots as a freshman he was second last year. This winter, he returned to the top spot with 90 rejections.
The Trojans carried a three-game winning streak into the conference tournament, but lost in the first round to North Carolina Central, 72-55. VSU was 7-9 in the conference and 13-15 overall.
Contact Vic Fulp at (804) 649-6556 or vfulp@timesdispatch.com
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