Overlooked in all the hubbub over Lou Piniella's retirement announcement, UIC basketball coach Jimmy Collins also announced his retirement yesterday. While Collins had some success at UIC, leading the school to its only NCAA tournament berths, he should be best remembered for his work as one of Lou Henson's assistant coaches during the 1980's and 1990's. Collins was the key recruiter for several members of the "Flyin' Illini", one of the best and most exciting teams in school history. Even after Bruce Pearl falsely accused him of cheating to land those players, Collins handled the charges with dignity. If the world worked, it would have been Collins who parlayed his mid-major success into a BCS conference job, not Pearl.
Enjoy your retirement, Coach.
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