Brian Collins

Brian Erick Collins (born March 23, 1984) is an American professional basketball coach who is an assistant coach for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was previously the head coach at Tennessee State University.

Playing career A Nashville native, Collins was a four-year starter at hometown Belmont under Rick Byrd, and was the captain of the Bruins first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance at the Division I level in 2006. He scored 1,199 points in his career, and left the school as the all-time leader in assists and steals at the Division I level.

After graduation, Collins played professional basketball between 2006 and 2007 with the Bakersfield Jam of the NBDL and Kouvot in Finland.

Coaching career In 2007, Collins began his coaching career serving as a graduate assistant and director of basketball operations at Tennessee State until 2009, when he accepted an assistant coaching position at NAIA institution Cumberland. After the 2015 season, Collins joined the staff at ETSU for two seasons before spending one season at Illinois St. as an assistant coach.

Collins was named head coach of Tennessee State University in 2018, leading a turnaround of the program during his seven-year tenure. He became the only coach in the Division I era at TSU to record three consecutive 18-win and finished as the second-winningest coach in program history.

In 2020, Collins was named BOXTOROW National Coach of the Year and was also a finalist for the Ben Jobe Award in 2020 and 2025. His program emphasized player development and academic success, producing over 30 professional players and achieving a 100% graduation rate during his tenure.

Collins increased the program’s national visibility, hosting Tennessee State’s first NBA Pro Day in his second season, which drew scouts from more than 15 teams from the National Basketball Association. That same year, TSU recorded the largest increase in attendance in Division I basketball, along with record-setting season ticket sales.

In his fourth season, Collins founded the “Deserve 2 Win” Celebrity Weekend, a fundraising initiative that generated the highest revenue in program history and contributed to facility enhancements.

On June 30, 2025, Tennessee State announced that Collins had stepped down for a coaching role in the NBA. His move was described as a historic and rare transition, as it involved a sitting HBCU head coach moving directly to an NBA coaching staff. Collins then accepted a position as an assistant for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Head coaching record

NJCAA

NCAA DI