Doug Collins: Road to 400

Written By: John Butler

When the Philadelphia 76ers hired Doug Collins as the head coach in 2010 it was evident that they were heading in the right direction. After all ,this was the same Doug Collins who intelligently played point guard for the Sixers throughout his entire career. This was the same guy who coached Michael Jordan to a string of playoff appearances pre Phil Jackson. This was the same Doug Collins who would break down the complex dynamics of the game with ease as an NBA analyst for TNT. Since his return to the City of Brotherly Love he has done nothing but prove the Sixers made the right decision. His team sits atop the Atlantic Division and his hard work has been rewarded with his 400th career coaching victory against the Boston Celtics on Friday. Whenever you see someone achieve such a high level of success, it’s only right to ask “how did they do it?”

There are always obstacles intended to deter success. No matter how hard you work there are times when these obstacles still cannot be overcome. Doug Collins discovered this early in his career as a member of the 1972 USA Olympic basketball team. Known as one of the most controversial games in the history of basketball, Collins went from the hero who thought he hit the game winning free throw to a puzzled member of the American team that had been cheated out of a gold medal. Perhaps it is that experience that causes Collins to coach until the final buzzer sounds. No matter how big of a lead or deficit. I’m not the only one who has noticed this quality that Collin’s possesses that stems from such a heartbreaking loss. Just ask LeBron James who dedicated his 2008 gold medal victory to Coach Collins.

Being a successful coach in the NBA today is more than just drawing plays and calling timeouts. You’re dealing with athletes who have $80 million contracts and have never been coerced forced toplayed defense. Stroking egos is as daunting as facilitating practice for some coaches. Some coaches spend so much time walking on egg shells that they are scared to coach their game. Collins playing days prepared him for this experience. Being the point guard for a personality like Darryl Dawkins and a legend by the name of Julius Erving is not easy. How do you make sure everyone gets enough touches? How do you stand your ground against guys with nicknames like “Chocolate Thunder” and “Dr. J.” when everyone only knows you as Doug? Although the answer is simple, it is not always easy to do. You win. Doug Collins earned the respect of his high profile teammates by leading them to victory on a consistent basis.

Collins has a knack for being able to groom young talent. He did so with his first head coaching job in 1986 with the Chicago Bulls., taking them to the playoffs each year during his three year tenure. Collins didn’t waver from the challenge of coaching one of the NBA’s greatest tandems of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. The same way he is not backing down to the challenge of bringing the Sixers back to relevancy in Philadelphia as head coach. This team resembles the playing style that he utilized during his playing career. Everyone has brought into the idea of team defense and plays within their role on the squad; the roles that have been strategically defined for them by Coach Collins. On paper they are not the most talented in the league. But they are playing together, which is rare to see in today’s NBA. They say you are only good as the company you keep. Well the last time the Sixers played this well they were being coached by Hall of Famer Larry Brown, which speaks volumes about Doug Collins abilities.

Is 400 career coaching wins anywhere near Don Nelson’s 1300-plus? Of course not, but keep in mind that Doug Collins has only coached ten NBA seasons. His ability to understand the game and teach it with such success is something to be respected. His ability to get the city of Philadelphia excited about basketball for the first time in ten years should be commended. Collins ability to get Will Smith excited enough to loose his voice is amazing. More importantly Doug Collins road to 400 career victories is nothing short of legendary.