Doug Collins

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Collins was born in Christopher, Illinois, and grew up in Benton, Illinois, where his next-door neighbor was future film star John Malkovich. He played high school basketball at Benton Consolidated High School under coach Rich Herrin. He played college basketball at Illinois State University, coached by Will Robinson, the first black head coach in NCAA Division I. Collins was drafted first overall in the 1973 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. He played eight seasons for Philadelphia, was an NBA All-Star four times, and in the 1976–77 season joined Julius Erving leading the Sixers to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Portland Trail Blazers. Injuries to his feet and left knee beginning in 1979 ended his career in 1981. He played 415 NBA games, scoring 7,427 points (17.9 per game).

In Their Own Story

The turnaround under Doug Collins began almost immediately after his hiring in May 1986. The team, featuring Michael Jordan who was entering his third season, had just finished a 30–52 campaign. Collins took charge and orchestrated a dramatic shift in fortunes, improving the win total by ten games in each of his first two seasons. By year two, the Bulls were a 50-win team. The climax of his tenure came in his third year when he guided Chicago to its first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in fifteen years. However, the run ended against their Central Division rival, the 'Bad Boys' Detroit Pistons. Despite the on-court success and the high regard in which he was held by the Chicago fanbase, Collins was let go in the summer of 1989, leaving behind a team that had finally re-established itself as a serious contender.

Reader's Guide

In May 1986, Collins was named head coach of the Chicago Bulls. The team featured a young Michael Jordan entering his third season. The Bulls were coming off a 30–52 season. Collins helped the Bulls improve by 10 games in each of his first two seasons, coaching Chicago to a 50–32 record in his second year. In his third year as coach, he brought Chicago to their first Eastern Conference finals appearance in 15 years; however, they were unable to get past the Detroit Pistons. Despite the Bulls' success, Collins was fired in the summer of 1989.

Did You Know?

• Collins was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024 by the Contributors Committee.
• He represented the United States at the 1972 Summer Olympics, where the controversial gold medal game against the Soviet Union occurred.
• Collins's son Chris is the head basketball coach at Northwestern University.
• Illinois State University's basketball court is named Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena.