Longtime Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) head baseball coach Gary Collins will be inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame's class of 2019.
Collins, who spent 34 seasons at SIUE, is one of seven individuals selected for the 2019 class, which will be formally enshrined in January 2019. He is already a member of the St. Louis Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame and SIUE Athletics Hall of Fame.
Collins posted 1,028 career victories, retiring after the 2012 season during his time at his SIUE alma mater. In all, Collins led the Cougars to 14 Regional appearances and five College World Series at the NCAA Division II level. Ultimately, the program jumped to Division 1 status under his tutelage, posting 28 wins in 2011 and 27 in 2012.
Collins was a member of the first two SIUE baseball programs in 1968 and 1969, a time during which he starred for SIUE Hall of Famer Roy E. Lee. Eventually, he became the first SIUE athlete in any sport to sign a professional contract.
Collins earned his bachelor's in physical education in 1970 from SIUE. Three years later, he earned his master's in counselor education, also from SIUE.
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