Latest news with #BrianCollins
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
HBCU Rising Star Coach Makes Historic NBA Move
HBCU Rising Star Coach Makes Historic NBA Move originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Brian 'Penny' Collins didn't just coach basketball at Tennessee State University. He changed it. For seven years, he led with vision, pride, and purpose, pushing TSU into national conversations and earning respect far beyond the Ohio Valley Conference. Now, Collins is stepping onto a larger stage, the NBA, as he joins the Memphis Grizzlies as an assistant and brings with him the heart of HBCU basketball. Advertisement The announcement hit early Monday morning: Collins had officially accepted a coaching position with the NBA's Grizzlies franchise, becoming one of the rare coaches from a historically Black college or university to make the leap to the league. One thing is clear, his impact on HBCU sports has already left a lasting legacy. From Underdog to Architect When Collins took over at TSU in 2018, the program was struggling to find footing in a competitive conference. Over the next seven seasons, he crafted a program rooted in accountability, development, and brotherhood. His final year with the Tigers, a 17-16 campaign that ended in the semifinals of the 2024 OVC Tournament, was a testament to how far the program had come under his leadership. But it wasn't just the wins. Collins focused heavily on off-court growth, emphasizing academics, leadership, and service, values deeply ingrained in HBCU culture. Advertisement By 2024, TSU wasn't just competing. It was earning respect. 'Coach Collins built a family-oriented culture and a competitive program that earned the respect of our conference and the broader basketball community,' TSU Director of Athletics Dr. Mikki Allen said following his departure. 'We are proud to congratulate Coach Collins on this significant opportunity.' TSU head coach Brian Penny Collins yells to his players from the sideline in an Ohio Valley Conference basketball game between the Austin Peay Governors and Tennessee State Tigers.© Henry Taylor/The Leaf-Chronicle, Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle via Imagn Content Services, LLC A Trail Few Have Walked The jump from HBCU basketball to the NBA coaching ranks remains a rare one. While former NBA stars like Deion Sanders and Eddie George have brought attention and resources to HBCU programs in football, basketball coaching pipelines have been slower to develop. Collins' move could open new doors. Advertisement His transition mirrors the growing push for equity in coaching representation. According to the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, less than 10% of NBA head or assistant coaches hail from HBCU backgrounds. That number shrinks even further for those making the leap directly from HBCU head coaching roles. Collins now enters that elite tier, not just as a representative of TSU, but as a symbol for what's possible. The Next Chapter for Tennessee State With Collins headed to the league, the immediate question for TSU becomes: What's next? Assistant Coach Erik Buggs has been named interim head coach. Buggs, who arrived last season after a successful run at UT Martin, where he helped guide the Skyhawks to a 24-win season and an OVC regular-season title in 2022–23, has deep ties to player development and already commands respect within the locker room. Advertisement Whether TSU removes the interim tag or looks externally, the hire will be a pivotal one. Collins' success raised expectations, and the next leader will be charged with maintaining that momentum. TSU remains the only HBCU in the Ohio Valley Conference, a status that comes with both pride and pressure. And Collins' departure may only intensify the spotlight on the program. Bigger Than Basketball The story of Penny Collins isn't just about coaching. It's about representation. It's about showing what leadership looks like, on your own terms. At a time when Black coaches are still fighting for recognition in both college and pro sports, Collins' move underscores a rising shift. HBCUs have long been hotbeds for athletic talent. Now, they're starting to get the credit they deserve for producing coaching talent too. Advertisement This isn't a goodbye, it's a milestone. It signals that the work done at Tennessee State has weight in rooms once thought out of reach. It's also a wake-up call to athletic directors across the country: HBCU coaches aren't waiting for permission anymore. They're earning and taking their place. One Coach. One Program. One Path That Matters. For HBCU sports fans, this is more than an NBA transaction. It's a win for every small-budget program overlooked by the big networks. It's a win for every Black coach working in silence. And it's a win for every athlete who chose culture over clout. Collins may no longer be pacing the sideline at Gentry Center, but his impact echoes beyond the hardwood. What he built in Nashville will live on, in the teammates who became brothers, the students who became men, and now, in a professional locker room that's about to experience what HBCU coaching excellence really looks like. And the league is better for it. Related: HBCU Legend Shows True Colors Behind Oklahoma City Thunder This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
College Basketball Head Coach Quits For NBA Job
College Basketball Head Coach Quits For NBA Job originally appeared on The Spun. A men's college basketball head coach has stepped down from his position to pursue a coaching gig in the NBA. The 2024-25 NBA season came to an end earlier this month. The Oklahoma City Thunder topped the Indiana Pacers in seven games in the NBA Finals. The NBA's 2025 offseason is officially underway, with free agency starting on Monday evening. Advertisement Heading into the start of the 2025 NBA offseason, a notable men's college basketball head coach has stepped down, in order to pursue a professional gig. Tennessee State University head men's basketball coach Brian "Penny" Collins has stepped down, effective immediately, to accept a coaching position in the NBA, the school announced on Monday. NCAA basketball on court. (Photo by)Collins had been the school's head coach for seven seasons. The program reached the semifinals in last season's Ohio Valley Conference Tournament and finished the year with a 17-16 overall record. "On behalf of Tennessee State University, I wish Coach Collins and his family the very best as they begin this exciting new chapter," said Director of Athletics Dr. Mikki Allen. "We are proud to congratulate Coach Collins on this significant opportunity, which reflects the meaningful work he has done here over the past seven years." Advertisement "Coach Collins built a family-oriented culture and a competitive program that earned the respect of our conference and the broader basketball community. 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." The school is grateful for his time. "I extend my sincere gratitude to Coach Collins for his leadership and for guiding our student-athletes with integrity and purpose," said Interim President Dwayne Tucker. "He has played a key role in bringing our men's basketball program back to a competitive standing in the OVC." Best of luck to Coach Collins in the NBA. College Basketball Head Coach Quits For NBA Job first appeared on The Spun on Jun 30, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jun 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
The Independent
02-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Will Nigel Farage's ‘Doge' project achieve anything useful?
Having impressively seized control of 10 county councils in the recent elections, Reform UK are delivering on their promise to undertake Elon Musk/ Doge -style reviews of the operations of the various local authorities under their command. The first to get the treatment is Kent County Council. Some doubt whether such a comic-opera version of the American exercise is really serious, or if it's just a stunt... Why are they doing this? Well, it was an election pledge, and ostensibly it could save some money that would otherwise be wasted, and make some services more efficient. Nothing wrong with that. Who is on the crack team? It's fair to say that some are quite successful businesspeople, and some, apparently, are IT experts; but, unlike the US Doge brigade, the British team actually includes the new leader and deputy leader of the council, Linden Kemkaran and Brian Collins. It is also fair to say that none of the Reform UK Doge team are able to rival the expertise, let alone vast wealth, of Elon Musk (or, perhaps, the skills of the small group that the world's richest man brought to DC). Nor does the slightly pretentious letter signed by Kemkaran, Nigel Farage and Reform chair Zia Yusuf possess the gravitas of an executive order signed by the president of the United States of America. It contains a good deal of Trumpian menace, but the fact is that Kemkaran is in no stronger a position than anyone would be in a comparable role in local government. So a lot of the Reform/Doge activity, including the 'We mean business' pics, is 'performative', as they say. The full list is: Nathaniel Fried, 'open-source intelligence' guru (head of Doge) Arron Banks, businessman and Reform politician (adviser to Doge) Zia Yusuf, chair of Reform UK Linden Kemkaran, leader of Kent County Council Brian Collins, deputy leader of Kent County Council We shall see how high-powered they are, and also how easily bored. So it is a stunt? Yes, to the extent that any council leader can task their officers with finding efficiency savings, and/or hire consultants to do the same. Plus councils are regularly and independently audited in any case, by law. It's pretty unnecessary, and American Doge was, arguably, an embarrassing flop. Will there be waste, fraud and abuse? It's difficult to believe there won't be any at all, but then again it all depends on what's meant by 'waste'. Was almost the entire USAID budget consumed by waste, fraud and abuse, or did the vast majority of it save lives and serve US foreign policy? In the smaller context of a local authority area, will a flower bed enlivening the town hall, however economical its maintenance, count as essential or a frippery? What about a mother-and-toddler group? Or the green waste collections? Or, in somewhere like Lincolnshire, flood defences? These are, in reality, just routine political choices, and the whole panoply of a British Doge is unnecessary for them to be made. It's also not too cheesy to suggest that waste, fraud and abuse are simple facts of human life; that they exist, sadly, in private enterprise; and that even Musk and Trump have blown a few dollars here and there rather unwisely. What about gold-plated pensions? Most former refuse collectors, ex-leisure-centre staff and retired planners didn't earn enough for anyone to be that envious of their pension, but in any case, they are protected and their payments are contractual. The Doge team could certainly chop future pension entitlements not yet earned by staff, but that wouldn't yield much in the way of immediate savings. They could also freeze or reduce council salaries, and change future pension rules, but with the risk of industrial action and/or not being able to recruit people. The six-figure salaries of senior professionals could also be reduced, but that carries the danger of not being able to find capable replacements, and amateurs are legally only allowed to do so much. What could go wrong? Lots. As anyone with any exposure to local government knows, most of its expenditure is mandated under law – on housing, adult and child social care, and special educational needs. So this is where the major savings could be made. One way would be for contracts with, say, a care home provider to be renegotiated, with no loss of amenity for the residents in terms of their supervision, timely referrals for medical attention, cleanliness, recreation or standard of meals. Or, more crudely, a Doge-style functionary could just chop the value of the contract in half, without much interest in the horrific consequences for those in the homes, or for the children needing special help with their development. Like the Militant-run Liverpool City Council in the 1980s, political posturing and playing with people's jobs and lives could cause real suffering for purely political mischief. In extremis, a local council run by Reform UK that breaches its statutory obligations under the Local Government Act 1972 and other legislation could find itself subject to legal action brought by the secretary of state, Angela Rayner (which they'd no doubt welcome for theatrical purposes). What will Reform Doge achieve? Misery and mayhem, most likely. Yes, they will surely find some minor extravagance, misrepresent valuable programmes, and hype up whatever money they save, playing down any diminution in the services provided. Very much like the real Musk Doge show, in fact. If they do save more substantial sums – enough, say, to cut residents' council tax – then it will probably be at the expense of some highly vulnerable people, and their obligations under the law. The same goes for any attempts to ignore the strictures of the Equality Act 2010, or unlawful action against asylum-seekers, or interference in operational matters in the police force. It could get very messy.
Business Wire
09-05-2025
- Science
- Business Wire
Obsidian Solutions Group Joins Groundbreaking Initiative to Support NASA and the Firefighting Community With Wildfire Modeling and Analytics, Management, and Decision Making
FREDERICKSBURG, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Obsidian Solutions Group is proud to announce its support to the Western Fire Chiefs Association (WFCA) and its groundbreaking research and development initiative—the Applied Sciences Center for Resilience Studies (ASC). The ASC creates a nexus between researchers and practitioners, enabling and advancing collaboration among government agencies, industries, and academia to enhance community wildfire resilience. ASC's inaugural research endeavor, which is funded by NASA's Earth Applied Sciences Wildland Fires program area, will focus on wildfire decision-making and data mapping. Known as the Wildfire Decision and Data Mapping Project, this effort will study the intersection of wildfire management, human decisions, and planned interventions to advance wildfire science and technology, improve emergency management techniques and procedures, and support data-informed decision making for fire-related emergency services, future technologies, and resourcing. Dr. Katelynn Kapalo—ASC's assistant director—and Brian Collins—the research project's co-investigator—will lead this effort for the WFCA. According to Kapalo and Collins, the goal of this foundational study is to create a science-based decision model, enabling NASA and the wildfire community to align and prioritize investments in sensors and systems, data and data analytics, operational planning, resourcing, and mitigation. 'Our team is not only excited for but also honored to support and participate in such a worthwhile endeavor for the U.S. firefighting community who daily protect us and the environment from fires and other natural and manmade emergencies.' Capitalizing on its proven ability to provide solutions to its customers' most challenging problems, Obsidian Solutions Group will leverage its core competencies in data management, intelligence, threat modeling, and doctrine and training assessments to support WFCA's groundbreaking initiative. Overseeing this effort for Obsidian are Chris Teague and Ken Kassner, who have managed, led, and supported various exercise design, training, and decision-making programs and doctrine analysis for Obsidian's clients. Together, they initiated the company's support to this pioneering work with NASA and the Western Fire Chiefs Association. Obsidian has also partnered with Matt Maher and Rob Orlando of Processus Group, who will utilize their company's data modeling techniques and cognitive problem-solving methodologies to assess cause and effect relationships across the complex wildfire fighting domain. Jim Wiley, president and co-founder of Obsidian Solutions Group, expressed great enthusiasm for this project. 'Our team is not only excited for but also honored to support and participate in such a worthwhile endeavor for the U.S. firefighting community who daily protect us and the environment from fires and other natural and manmade emergencies.' Pat O'Neil—Obsidian's vice president of operations—further commented about the incredible value of this research initiative. 'Similar to the mission-critical work many of our experts regularly provide to our nation's warfighters in operational design, planning, and decision making, this collaborative effort between the WFCA, Obsidian, and Processus directly applies to firefighters on the ground at the point of relevance and the myriad organizations involved in wildland fire management and resourcing. We're exceptionally proud to be a part of this project.' For additional information about Obsidian Solutions Group expert services and mission accelerators, please visit
Daily Record
07-05-2025
- Climate
- Daily Record
Hundreds attend latest annual speedway day at Coatbridge's Summerlee heritage museum
People were treated to a vintage display of bikes, including Weslakes and Godden models. More than 500 revved-up visitors got in gear to celebrate the latest annual speedway day at Coatbridge's Summerlee heritage museum. The weather was kind to organisers and guests, with a warm reception given to everyone. Visitors were treated to a vintage display of bikes, including Weslakes and Godden models, as well as archive photos showcasing the area's speedway history. Delighted event organiser John Houston told Lanarkshire Live: "There was a good selection of bikes, such as Weslakes, Godden, Japs and uprights. "We also had photos, programmes, badges and memorabilia on show, while DVDs were broadcast outside in the gazebo. "It was great to see Brian Collins, Bobby Beaton and Jim Beaton - three Tigers from 73-77. "I would like to thank Brian Collins, Alex Weir, James Culbert, William Richardson and the Blackwood family for showing their bikes, as well as Stuart Coleman who brought speedway gear. "My appreciation also goes to David MacDonald and the staff at Summerlee, and everyone who came along, for making it such a successful day." And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.
