If there were any lingering questions as to why new basketball coach Chris Collins turned down several head coaching opportunities before coming to Northwestern, he answered it in the first line of his press conference.
“I can’t tell you all enough how excited I am to be back in Chicago.”
On Tuesday morning, the Northbrook, Ill. native addressed Wildcat media for the first time, fielding a press conference from the Welsh-Ryan Arena floor. Collins told the crowd that a major factor in his decision was coming home to Chicago, which he calls “the best basketball city in the country.”
Collins said that the last time he was in Welsh-Ryan, as a high-schooler playing in an Illinois basketball state tournament back in 1992, the energy was undeniable.
“It was an unbelievable atmosphere. I know there’s been a lot of talk about what we don’t have and what we need. Let’s make this a heck of a home-court advantage. Let’s get everyone in the building and let’s get everyone in purple. Let’s see what it’s like to get 8,000 people going crazy.”
When he brought up his family, the new coach seemed to fight back tears. His parents, wife and children were in attendance, supporting Collins in his first head coaching job. And when asked about whether or not his father, Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doug Collins, would be a part of his staff in the future, he chuckled before answering with “never say never.”
“Whether or not he’s on the staff or not, [Doug] is going to be a part of it, that’s how he is.”
Collins has a reputation of being passionate and energetic on the sidelines, and he made that very visible Tuesday. He said that he wants to get on campus, meet the students and build excitement about the program.
“I’m not afraid of the work that needs to be done. I know it takes time. I’m ultra-competitive, I’m passionate about what I do,” he said.
He said that bulding a staff is something he needs to get working on immediately, but his first priority is to meet the current players and build relationships. With much speculation about Wildcats’ feelings about a coaching change, he emphasized that he needs to earn their trust, and they need to earn his.
Collins mentioned his experience at Duke, where he was an associate coach to Mike Krzyzewski since 2008.
“It’s amazing being around Coach K. Here’s a guy who’s accomplished everything you can possibly accomplish ... But no matter what you learn from who your mentors are, you have to be yourself and you have to coach in your own style and follow your own instincts. That’s what I plan to do.” When asked about the state of the facilities, Collins brought up Cameron Indoor Stadium, where Duke plays. He said that while it isn’t a state-of-the-art arena, the students make it what it is. They pack it every game and build an atmosphere that is hard to match. He isn’t focused on the size of Welsh-Ryan; he just wants to fill it up.
It was a press conference marked by excitement and emotions. Much is expected of Collins, and he appears ready to take on the challenge. For this self-proclaimed “basketball junkie,” there will be no days off in the coming months. Calling April a major recruiting month, in which he and his staff will have to "get in the homes; get in the schools," things will pick up from the get-go.