Tennessee State basketball coach Brian “Penny” Collins has resigned, the school announced on June 30.
Collins has accepted a coaching position in the NBA, but the school release did not have information on what the job was.
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Assistant coach Erik Buggs will serve as interim head coach during a search for Collins’ replacement.
Collins, 41, a former Whites Creek and Belmont basketball star, just completed his seventh season at TSU.
The Tigers went 17-16 overall and 12-8 in the Ohio Valley Conference in 2024-25. TSU advanced to the semifinals of the OVC tournament.
Collins’ career record at TSU was 98-120. He led the Tigers to at least 17 wins over four seasons and winning records each of the last three seasons.
“Coach Collins built a family-oriented culture and a competitive program that earned the respect of our conference and the broader basketball community,” TSU athletic director Mikki Allen said in a release. “His impact on our student-athletes and the Tennessee State University family has been profound. His passion and unwavering commitment to developing young men and providing a first-class experience have been truly invaluable.”
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Collins replaced Dana Ford as TSU’s coach after the 2017-18 season. Collins had served as a graduate assistant at TSU under coach Cy Alexander from 2007-09.
After serving as an assistant at Cumberland, Collins got his first head coaching position at Columbia State Community College (2012-15). He was an assistant at East Tennessee State from 2015-17 and then spent one year as an assistant at Illinois State under former Vanderbilt assistant Dan Muller.
“I extend my sincere gratitude to coach Collins for his leadership and for guiding our student-athletes with integrity and purpose,” TSU interim president Dwayne Tucker said. “He has played a key role in bringing our men’s basketball program back to a competitive standing in the OVC.”
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Buggs, a Memphis native, joined the TSU staff before the 2024-25 season after spending three years at UT Martin, where he was part of the Skyhawks’ 24-win season and OVC regular season title in 2022-23.
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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee State basketball coach Brian Collins resigns for NBA job
