Collins
With the absence of a head coach for the Emporia State women’s basketball team, the administration is currently looking at former Brandon Schneider assistant Jory Collins as a possible replacement.
Collins, a native of Holton, has been with the women’s basketball program for nine years. He has contributed to almost 150 Hornets’ wins and only 47 losses on the bench under Schneider.
“I just feel like I’ll be able to bring continuity,” Collins said. “Obviously it’s not broke here – it’s a national championship program. I feel like I was responsible for a lot of that in helping (Schneider) get us to where we are. I feel like I’d be able to keep it going in the same direction to we’ve been in.”
Before embarking on a nationwide search for a replacement for Schneider, Emporia State administrators have decided to look into the possibility of promoting Collins to be the successor.
The players at ESU gave a vote of confidence in Collins to be their next head coach.
“We all are really hoping that Jory gets that job,” said freshman guard Rachel Hanf. “We think he’d be a great person for it to step right in where Brandon left off.”
Collins believes that his close-knit relationship with the players led to the vote of confidence.
“That means a lot,” Collins said. “To be honest, it’s what I expected because I know them. We know each other and we have a great relationship. I’m not that old, so I don’t look at them as a daughter, but I do look at them a lot as little sisters.”
Even after exiting the program, Schneider feels that Collins should be the number one prospect for the job.
“Without question,” Schneider said. “He’s earned this opportunity. He’s been apart of the program for eight years. He’s recruited every single player that will be a part of the program next year with the exception of AlliVolkens and Brittney Miller. He’s a terrific teacher on the floor and has fantastic recruiting contacts and ties throughout the Midwest. He was always a really big part of our game plan and our in game coaching and I don’t think there is any question he is ready.”
Schneider has served as Collins’ mentor from the moment he entered the program.
“He’s been all my influence – I haven’t worked for anyone else,” Collins said. “As a mentor, he’s responsible for a lot of things (like) the way I look at coaching. When I first started working for him I thought he was John Wooden, and as we got to know each other over the years, it’s just a good relationship.”
Hanf holds a strong belief that Collins would be the best fit for the squad, who is coming off a Division II National Championship run.
“He really knows how we play and what’s going to work for our team and what’s not going to work,” Hanf said. “He recruited all of us so he knows how we work.”
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