| Brian Collins | |
| Current Title: | Head coach |
| Current Team: | Tennessee State |
| Current Conference: | OVC |
| Birth Date: | 23 March 1984 |
| Birth Place: | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Player Years1: | 2002–2006 |
| Player Team1: | Belmont |
| Player Years2: | 2006 |
| Player Team2: | Bakersfield Jam |
| Player Years3: | 2007 |
| Player Team3: | Kouvot |
| Coach Years1: | 2007–2009 |
| Coach Team1: | Tennessee State (asst.) |
| Coach Years2: | 2009–2012 |
| Coach Team2: | Cumberland (asst.) |
| Coach Years3: | 2012–2015 |
| Coach Team3: | Columbia State CC |
| Coach Years4: | 2015–2017 |
| Coach Team4: | East Tennessee State (asst.) |
| Coach Years5: | 2017–2018 |
| Coach Team5: | Illinois State (asst.) |
| Coach Years6: | 2018–present |
| Coach Team6: | Tennessee State |
| Overall Record: | (NCAA) (NJCAA) |
| Awards: | 2013–14 REGION 7 COACH OF THE YEAR,2014–15 NJCAA DISTRICT 7 COACH OF THE YEAR, 2019–20 BOXTOROW COACH OF THE YEAR |
Brian "Penny" Collins is an American college basketball coach, and current head coach of the Tennessee State Tigers basketball team.[1] [2]
A Nashville native, Collins was a four-year starter at hometown Belmont under Rick Byrd, and was the captain of the Bruins first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance at the Division I level in 2006. He scored 1,199 points in his career, and left the school as the all-time leader in assists and steals at the Division I level.[2] [3]
After graduation, Collins played professional basketball between 2006 and 2007 with the Bakersfield Jam of the NBDL and Kouvot in Finland.[4]
In 2007, Collins began his coaching career serving as a graduate assistant and director of basketball operations at Tennessee State until 2009, when he accepted an assistant coaching position at NAIA institution Cumberland.[2]
Collins landed his first head coaching job, taking the reins of Columbia State where he took over a team that went 10–17 in his first year, but compiled a 54–11 overall record in his final two seasons and led the team to two-straight NCJAA national tournament appearances.[5] [6] [7] After the 2015 season, Collins joined the staff at ETSU for two seasons before spending one season at Illinois St. as an assistant coach.[8] [9]
On March 26, 2018, Collins was named the 21st head coach in Tennessee State history, replacing Dana Ford, who accepted the head coaching position at Missouri State.[2]