BENTON — “It’s something that is way overdue,” said Coach Rich Herrin, responding to the news that his former star Ranger was finally being recognized for his stellar college career with a Hall of Fame ring.
It was announced last week that the 64-year-old Benton native Doug Collins has been elected to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. This induction is meant to recognize the great achievements he made while plating for Illinois State (ISU). He will be formally inducted Nov. 18 at the Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland in Kansas City along with fellow inductees Mark Aguirre of DePaul, Lionel Simmons of La Salle and Jamaal Wilkes of UCLA; as well as coaches Hugh Durham and Mike Montgomery.
“He’s deserving,” Herrin added, as he listed off some of Collins remarkable career feats such as making the 1972 Olympic team, and being the number one NBA draft pick in 1973.
Herrin added that Collins was a bit of a late bloomer in terms of his basketball career. He didn’t make the starting line-up for the Rangers his junior year, losing that spot to future Pinckneyville coach Dick Corn. However, he added that Collins always showed tremendous intelligence, and often accompanied Herrin on scouting trips.
“He never did show in high school what a great athlete he was. He always could shoot it, even in grade school. He did a lot of hard work in his back yard. His greatest asset in college was that he got a step quicker, and playing without the basketball. In high school his greatest asset was playing with the basketball. He was very, very active,” added Herrin.
Collins did not play much freshman year at ISU, but worked his way to three very successful varsity years in which he averaged 29.1 points per game, totaling 2,240 career college points. Collins was both an All-American and an Academic All-American in every season he played. The ISU court at Redbird Arena in Normal is now named the Doug Collins Court, and Collins and his old college coach, Will Robinson, are depicted in a statue outside the arena.
Collins was also the key player in one of the most controversial basketball games in Olympic history in Munich against the USSR. He made two of the biggest free throws in American basketball history after drawing a foul in the final nine seconds of the game that left him nearly unconscious. Then the Soviets, given a controversial reset of the clock, managed to stretch those three seconds out into three possessions to score the game-winning lay-up.
"It was like standing on top of the Sears building one moment," Collins said of the moment years later, "and then somebody pushes you and you’re free-falling." Many have called it the biggest robbery in Olympic basketball history.
After being drafted to the Philadelphia 76’ers, Collins went on to become a four-time NBA all-star, playing for many years alongside NBA legend Julius Erving. After his playing career, Collins began a decade’s long coaching career. That career included coaching a young Michael Jordan in the pre-Phil Jackson era Chicago Bulls, and also at various times for the Detroit Pistons, and the Washington Wizards, where he coached Jordan in his final three seasons. Most recently, Collins coached one final stretch for his old 76’ers from 2009-13.
After retiring from coaching for the second time in 2013, Collins returned to the role that he is perhaps best known for, that of a celebrated sports analyst for ESPN.
“Not only was he an outstanding player, but he was an outstanding coach. He’s done every phase of the game; he’s been on radio and television. You can’t believe how many people have told me he’s the best color man because of his knowledge of the game,” added Herrin about his coaching and broadcasting career.
Collins was honored for his work as a sports analyst by the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009, receiving the prestigious Curt Gowdy Award.
Collins gave these remarks while accepting the award, “We have all had mentors, we've had coaches, we've had bosses, we've had parents, we've had friends, we've had family, we've had great support staff. And I've got to tell you that whether I played or I coached or I broadcast, I've always been around greatness. And I have such admiration for people who do things so well, the standard of excellence that they do in their jobs."
Doug’s son Chris Collins followed in his father’s footsteps and is currently the head coach at Northwestern University, and was also a member of the coaching staff on the Gold Medal winning 2008 USA Olympic basketball team. "My dad is the ultimate competitor," Chris said. "To go through some of the struggles and losses he did, it's not easy, but he continues to fight.”
In a touching moment, after his father finished his acceptance speech for the Curt Gowdy Award, Chris — fumbling in his pocket, stood up teary-eyed and said, "Dad, I have something for you," and then draped his gold medal around his father's neck. "This is yours," Chris said. "It's 37 years too late. But it's yours."
In another big event for Collins, this weekend he will coach the Eastern all-stars in the National Association of Basketball Coaches Reeses Division I All-Star Game at the Final Four. The game will take place at NRG Stadium in Houston on Friday at 4:30 p.m. and will air Saturday at noon on CBS.
According to the CBHOF, tickets for the official Hall of Fame ceremony in Kansas City will be made available starting in September. More information on the event can be found at www.collegebasketballhalloffame.com.
