Jay Collins enters his sixth year as an assistant coach with the Idaho State men’s basketball program. Collins is no stranger to the Big Sky Conference as he coached two years at Northern Arizona before coming to Pocatello. Collins played for coach Bill Evans at SUU and graduated with a degree in history in 2003.
Collins has played a key role in the Bengals resurgence on the basketball court and in the classroom. The Bengals were 16-15 during the 2015-16 season. That mark was the sixth best finish since the 1976-77 season and the 11-7 conference record was the best winning percentage since the 2000-01 team finished 10-6.
Two years ago ISU set a school record for 3-pointers made in a season and ISU had its first first-team all-conference player since 2008-09 in Ethan Telfair.
In the spring of 2014 the team had a GPA of 3.0. The men’s basketball program also had a perfect 1,000 APR score for the 2012-13 school year. The 2014-15 academic year finished with the Bengals earning above a 3.0 GPA. The Bengals had six student-athletes earn Big Sky All-Academic honors during the 2015-16 season, a program record. Following the 2017 spring semester the team finished with a 3.36 GPA, its highest ever.
While at NAU, Collins assisted with all aspects of the daily operations for the program, coordinating scouting efforts and working the guards. In Collins first year in Flagstaff the team participated in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament.
He joined the program after spending three seasons at Cochise College in Douglas, Ariz., serving as an assistant and recruiting coordinator under Head Coach Jerry Carrillo. He helped the team to the Region 1 runner-up finish in both 2008-09 and 2009-10, averaging 22 wins over his three seasons with the Apaches.
He coached seven student-athletes who signed with Division I programs during his tenure at Cochise.
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.
Collins, who is a native of Farmington, New Mexico, 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 and Mid-Continent Conference. He set the school single-season assist mark (178) and ranks among the career top 10 despite playing only two seasons.
He played professionally with the Idaho Stampede of the NBDL in 2003.
He has a history degree with a minor in physical education from Southern Utah University in 2003 and worked towards his master’s of arts degree in history at Texas-Pan American.
