The NAU men's basketball team has filled out its coaching staff for the 2010-11 season, hiring Jay Collins as an assistant coach.
Collins, a graduate of Southern Utah, spent the past three seasons at Cochise College in Douglas, serving as an assistant and the recruiting coordinator under head coach Jerry Carrillo.
"I am excited to have Jay join our staff," NAU head coach Mike Adras said. "I think he is a young and energetic coach. I have known him since his high school days and have continued to watch his growth."
"I am excited to bring him into our program where he will be able to have a lot of success."
At Cochise, Collins helped the team to a Region 1 runner-up finish in both 2008-09 and 2009-10, averaging 22 wins over his three seasons with the Apaches. Cochise led the league in scoring in 2009-10 at 91.5 points per game, finishing with a 26-4 overall record and a 20-2 mark in the ACCAC.
He coached seven student-athletes who signed with Division I programs during his tenure at Cochise, including current NAU senior DeAngelo Jones, who earned All-ACCAC first-team honors in 2009 and ranked 28th in the country in scoring in the NJCCA with 19.5 points per game scoring average.
Prior to Cochise, Collins served as an assistant at Upper Iowa University for the 2006-07 season and began his coaching career on the staff at the University of Texas-Pan American in 2005-06.
"I am excited to be part of a successful tradition and work with a successful head coach," said Collins of working with Adras.
Collins, a native of Farmington, N.M., was a NJCAA All-America third-team selection at Cochise, leading the team to its second consecutive trip to the National Tournament in 2000-01.
He played his final two seasons at Southern Utah (2001-03). He was named to the All-Newcomer Team in the then-Mid-Continent Conference. He set the school single-season assist mark (178) and ranks among the career top 10 despite playing only two seasons.
Collins, 29, attended the NAU basketball camp growing up and later coached at the camp. He played against the Lumberjacks twice during his senior season at Southern Utah. He played professionally with the Idaho Stampede of the NBDL in 2003.
Collins replaces Billy Hix on the staff. Hix resigned abruptly in the middle of the 2009-10 season and his position was not fully replaced until the hiring of Collins.
