ISU assistant Collins named head coach at Tennessee State

Posted on March 26, 2018
Brian “Penny” Collins was an assistant under Illinois State men’s basketball coach Dan Muller for the 2017-18 season. (Photo courtesy GoRedbirds.com)

By Greg Halbleib

Tennessee State has introduced Illinois State assistant coach Brian “Penny” Collins as its new head men’s basketball coach.

Collins, 34, was an assistant under Redbird coach Dan Muller during the past season. He was a graduate assistant coach and director of operations for Tennessee State men’s basketball from 2007-09. His previous head coaching experience was at Columbia State Community College in Tennessee from 2012-15.

Collins scored 1,199 points and dished out 435 assists in his four-year playing career at Belmont University before playing professionally in Finland and in the NBA Development League.

Collins replaces Dana Ford, an Illinois State alum who resigned to take the head coaching position at Missouri State.

Greg Halbleib can be reached at [email protected]. 

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