Doug Collins understands the importance of black coaches in basketball

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Near the north side of the Illinois basketball court is a statue of a coach kneeling as a player stands behind him along with his hand on the coach’s shoulder. The coach is Will Robinson, the first African-American head basketball coach in NCAA Division I history. The player shall be former Illinois star Doug Collins, who can also be a basketball star.

“They paid to build a statue in front of our arena in Illinois,” Collins said at the Hall of Fame news conference at Mohegan Sun on Saturday. “It was Coach Robinson kneeling along with his hand on my shoulder. And I at all times tell people, “This isn’t a basketball story.” He’s a white kid from Benton, Illinois, hanging out with a black man from Detroit, and together they’re constructing a Division I program that they might get out of.

“It was a love story. My hand on my shoulder was saying to me, “Coach, I trust you and I believe in you.” I think it’s getting harder and harder to have those relationships these days because the coach’s voice is so much lower in the rankings of who these guys are listening to. He said, “Wherever your voice reaches, a young man’s life will determine how you can help him.”

On Sunday, Collins was inducted into the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, as a contributor. The former head coach and NBA star was previously honored with the Curt Gowdy Media Award for broadcast excellence. The 2024 Hall of Fame class also includes Chauncey Billups, Vince Carter, Seimone Augustus, Bo Ryan, Michael Cooper, Walter Davis, Charles Smith, Dick Barnett, Harley Redin, Michele Timms, Jerry West and Herb Simon.

Collins, 73, scored 442-407 points as an NBA head coach in 11 seasons with the Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers. He coached NBA legend Michael Jordan at the starting and end of his Hall of Fame profession. The four-time NBA All-Star played in the league for eight seasons, averaging 17.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and three.3 assists.

Collins was also the No. 1 overall pick in the 1973 NBA draft out of Illinois, a three-time All-American, and played on the 1972 Olympic basketball team. He holds the Illinois record for profession points (2,240), goals in a season ( 847), profession field goals made (894) and season field goals made (352). In 2007, the CEFCU Arena floor in Illinois was renamed “Doug Collins Court”. In 2016, he was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. Fifteen years after the statue’s unveiling, Collins credited Robinson with much of his success.

“I went to play in college for the first black coach in Division I basketball and I grew up in an all-white community and Coach Robinson was from Detroit. Coach Rob, I fell in love with him, he helped me stay strong and gave me great wisdom,” Collins said.

Robinson, who died in 2008 at age 96, was recruited by Illinois State in 1970 after Collins’ freshman yr. Robinson posted a 78-51 record as the Redbirds coach from 1970-75. He also coached Hall of Fame Spencer Haywood at Pershing High School in Detroit and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Missouri Valley Conference in 2003. The former Detroit Pistons scout also helped discover guard Joe Dumars and forward Dennis Rodman.

Collins added that Robinson also helped him develop into humbled by his success at Illinois State.

“My junior year, the first game of the season, we played Oral Roberts and I scored 40 points in that game,” Collins said. “I at all times went to the coach’s office to speak. And on this particular day he called me Master. I do not know if he ever knew my name or not. So he called me champion. He said, “Champ, let me show you something.” He took me to the bathroom where there was a newspaper and someone had urinated on it. And he said, “That’s breaking news. Next time they shall be waiting for you. I said, “I’ve got you, coach.” I’ve got you. “

Collins said he had “truly special moments” with Robinson. Not all of it was pretty, like watching Robinson endure racism from fans while coaching him at Illinois State.

“We played at Arkansas when I was younger and we always had to play D-I teams on the road,” Collins said. “They would never come to play with us in our building. We tried to become a DI team and beat them on the road. It was a really good victory. I was walking off the floor with coach and he put his arm around me and I said, “Coach, this is a great win.” “Yes, Master.” And then I said to him, “Coach, how do you take all this teasing and what’s being said about you?” And he said, “Champ, these people are ignorant.” They do not know that sooner or later (Arkansas) can have a black coach.

“And now we go to 1994 and Duke vs. Arkansas in the NCAA championship game. And my son plays for Duke and Arkansas wins on Scotty Thurman 3 (-pointer). And not only was (Robinson) a visionary that they’d sooner or later have a black coach, but this guy (Nolan Richardson) led them to a national championship.