Jimmy Collins

Jimmy Collins

Inducted in 1998

Born in Syracuse. Attended Madison Junior High, Vocational High School and Corcoran High School
1965-1967: Plays basketball in high school and was named All-City first team three times.
Receives basketball scholarship to New Mexico State
1967-1970: Plays basketball for New Mexico State
1969-1970: Names to Look Magazine All-American team, US Regional Writers All-American team, MVP of NCAA Midwest Regional. Breaks school’s single game scoring mark with 41 points vs. the Air Force. Later bests this record to 42 points.
1970: New Mexico State rises to number three in national rankings. Jim finishes senior year with 1733 points and a 24.4 points-per-game average
1970: Signs contract with Chicago Bulls of the NBA
1970-1972: Scores 284 points in 76 games with the Bulls
1972: Switches to the ABA’s Carolina Cougars
In 1976, Collins returned to Chicago to start a trucking business. A year later, he became a hearing officer for the Cook County Probation Department, a position he held for six years. While serving as a probation officer, Collins also worked as a volunteer head coach at St. Thomas School in Chicago, where he is currently on the Board of Trustees, from 1980-1983. He also coached in the pro-college league of Chicago and was named Coach of the Year in 1981. Then in 1983, he was reunited with Henson at Illinois University.
1982-1995: Coaches Illinois University as an assistant basketball coach.
1996: Takes the head coach position at Illinois at Chicago University.
UIC Pavilion's first-ever crowd of over 8,000 fans in Collins' first game as head coach in 1996,
Coached the Flames' first-ever NCAA Tournament bid in 1998, to the school's first-ever league tournament title in 2002.
1998: Collins garnered numerous awards and honors. In addition to being selected as the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association NCAA Division I "Coach of the Year" and the Referee's Association of Chicago "Coach of the Year," Collins was also honored by the Ed Kelly Sports Program, Inc.,
1998: Receives the Giant Award, which recognizes an individual not only for their professional accomplishments, but also for the example they have set for others following in their footsteps.
1998 Collins was inducted into the Urban Sports Hall of Fame of Syracuse and was also selected as a Father of the Year by Chicago's Father's Day Council.
Collins, who is co-chairman of the Chicago Special Olympics, was the first inductee into the Hall of Fame at Corcoran High School in Syracuse, N.Y.
Collins was inducted, along with the rest of his 1970 Aggie Final Four squad, into the New Mexico State Athletics Hall of Fame.

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	Jimmy Collins Inducted in 1998 Born in Syracuse. Attended Madison Junior High, Vocational High School and Corcoran High School 1965-1967: Plays basketball in high school and was named All-City first team three times. Receives basketball scholarship to New Mexico State 1967-1970: Plays basketball for New Mexico State 1969-1970: Names to Look Magazine All-American team, US Regional Writers All-American team, MVP of NCAA Midwest Regional. Breaks school’s single game scoring mark with 41 points vs. the Air Force. Later bests this record to 42 points. 1970: New Mexico State rises to number three in national rankings. Jim finishes senior year with 1733 points and a 24.4 points-per-game average 1970: Signs contract with Chicago Bulls of the NBA 1970-1972: Scores 284 points in 76 games with the Bulls 1972: Switches to the ABA’s Carolina Cougars In 1976, Collins returned to Chicago to start a trucking business. A year later, he became a hearing officer for the Cook County Probation Department, a position he held for six years. While serving as a probation officer, Collins also worked as a volunteer head coach at St. Thomas School in Chicago, where he is currently on the Board of Trustees, from 1980-1983. He also coached in the pro-college league of Chicago and was named Coach of the Year in 1981. Then in 1983, he was reunited with Henson at Illinois University. 1982-1995: Coaches Illinois University as an assistant basketball coach. 1996: Takes the head coach position at Illinois at Chicago University. UIC Pavilion's first-ever crowd of over 8,000 fans in Collins' first game as head coach in 1996, Coached the Flames' first-ever NCAA Tournament bid in 1998, to the school's first-ever league tournament title in 2002. 1998: Collins garnered numerous awards and honors. In addition to being selected as the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association NCAA Division I "Coach of the Year" and the Referee's Association of Chicago "Coach of the Year," Collins was also honored by the Ed Kelly Sports Program, Inc., 1998: Receives the Giant Award, which recognizes an individual not only for their professional accomplishments, but also for the example they have set for others following in their footsteps. 1998 Collins was inducted into the Urban Sports Hall of Fame of Syracuse and was also selected as a Father of the Year by Chicago's Father's Day Council. Collins, who is co-chairman of the Chicago Special Olympics, was the first inductee into the Hall of Fame at Corcoran High School in Syracuse, N.Y. Collins was inducted, along with the rest of his 1970 Aggie Final Four squad, into the New Mexico State Athletics Hall of Fame.
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