Doug Collins was born on July 28, 1951 in Christopher, IL and grew up in Benton, IL. He went on to attend Illinois State University from 1970-73 where he was a standout basketball star and one of the most decorated athletes in ISU history. Collins became the program’s all-time leading scorer, was a Consensus All-American in 1973, and averaged 29.1 points per game in his three seasons with the team. In 1972, Collins represented the United States at the Olympics in Munich, Germany where the USA won a silver medal following some controversy in the gold medal game against the Soviet Union.
Following his final home game in 1973, his jersey number 20 was retired by the team and he remains the only basketball player in ISU history to receive this honor. Later in 1973 Collins was drafted first overall in the NBA Draft to the Philadelphia 76ers where he would play for the next eight seasons until 1981, when his career was cut short by injuries. Throughout his time in the NBA, Collins was a four-time all-star and averaged 17.9 points per game.
After his playing career, Collins would go on to coach the Chicago Bulls (1986-89), Detroit Pistons (1995-98), Washington Wizards (2001-03), and Philadelphia 76ers (2010-13). During this time, Collins also worked as an announcer and analyst for several networks including CBS, TNT, ABC, NBS, and TBS. In 2009 he received the Curt Gowdy Media Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Since 2017 Collins has served as the Senior Advisor of Basketball Operations for the Chicago Bulls.
On February 3, 2007, the court at Redbird Arena (now CEFCU Arena) was renamed the “Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena” which remains the name to this day. Collins was elected to the Illinois State Athletics Percy Family Hall of Fame in 1978, the Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016, and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024.