HBCU coach Brian “Penny” Collins is formally headed to the NBA. The Tennessee State College head males’s basketball coach has stepped down from his function to simply accept a training place within the NBA, marking a significant leap from the HBCU ranks to skilled basketball.
Collins’ departure ends a seven-year tenure at TSU, the place he performed a pivotal function in rebuilding and restoring the boys’s basketball program. His management helped reestablish Tennessee State as a aggressive drive within the Ohio Valley Convention (OVC), highlighted by a semifinal look within the 2024 OVC Match and a 17-16 general document final season.
All through his time at TSU, Collins exemplified the mission of HBCU athletics by fostering a family-first tradition and specializing in participant growth on and off the court docket. His success at TSU helped elevate the Ohio Valley Convention’s solely HBCU basketball program, positioning it as credible expertise pipelines not just for athletes however for coaches as nicely.
“Coach Collins constructed a family-oriented tradition and a aggressive program that earned the respect of our convention and the broader basketball group,” stated TSU Director of Athletics Dr. Mikki Allen. “We’re proud to congratulate Coach Collins on this important alternative.”
With Collins now within the NBA, Assistant Coach Erik Buggs will function interim head coach. Buggs arrived at TSU final season after a powerful run at UT Martin, the place he helped lead the Skyhawks to a 24-win season and a regular-season OVC title in 2022-23.
Whereas the transfer to the NBA is an enormous one for Collins, Tennessee State should decide as as to if it should hold the interim tag on Buggs for the yr or make a brand new rent.
