He hadn’t even hosted a single practice yet, but on day one of becoming Tennessee State University’s men’s head basketball coach, Brian “Penny” Collins called his first play.
The initiative was to ignite school spirit, grow game attendance, and ensure his players would represent TSU well on and off the court. He’s been scoring as a head coach ever since.
Five seasons later, he’s exceeding expectations. His player graduation rate is 100 percent. The Tigers have proven to be just as active off the field as they are on, fulfilling a packed community volunteer schedule. Coach Collins’ work doesn’t stop with growing the student-athletes on his roster. He garnered them national exposure by hosting the nation’s first-ever HBCU Pro Day and live-streamed practice, a first for the university.
“We have been blessed to have some great young men to come through this program,” said Collins. “We have thought outside the box to get them the exposure they deserve. I am most proud of our graduation rate. Of course, they want to play ball, but that degree can open many doors for them. This is certainly a group effort. We are all on the same page.”
The exposure has paid off for the players. Collins is nine for nine the past two seasons in graduating his athletes and getting them picked up by overseas professional teams.
Collins, who played professionally for the Kouvot Bears in Finland and the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League, understands how great of an opportunity it was for him to continue playing after college. His reach has assisted in getting the players the chance to continue to chase their dreams.
Collins has proven to be not only a formidable coach but a recruiter as well. His high recruiting acumen is drawing some of the top players from around the world, earning TSU some accolades. In 2019, they ranked first in attendance in the Ohio Valley Conference and had the most views by any OVC team on ESPN+.
The team’s worldwide reach has undoubtedly put TSU men’s basketball on the map. Also reeling in attention is Collins’ fundraising endeavor, Deserve To Win Weekend, where he brings in former and current professional athletes and celebrities.
Collins has worked with a total of 21 players in the past five years who’ve gone pro, namely T.J. Dunans, T.J. Cromer, and Nashville native and two-time Tennessee Mr. Basketball recipient Bo Hodges. While head coach at Columbia State Community College, Collins recruited Dunans, the number one player in junior college.
After graduating from Columbia State, Dunans went on to play at Auburn University. After three seasons at the junior college, Collins was named assistant coach at East Tennessee State and took Cromer, Dunans’ teammate, with him. Collins’ recruiting prowess brought Hodges to ETSU.
Collins keeps a close eye on talent in the Nashville area. This season, he will trot out two of the top guards from the area in recent years, junior Marcus Fitzgerald Jr. and true freshman Jaylen Jones.
Fitzgerald Jr. graduated from Pearl-Cohn High School in 2020. He won a state championship as a member of the Brentwood Academy team, where he played with Darius Garland of the Cleveland Cavaliers. As a junior, Jones won a state championship for the East Nashville Magnet Eagles in 2022. This past season, he was named the Tennessee Class AA Mr. Basketball.
Courtesy: Tennessee State Athletics/Scott Wallace
