SHSU Brings In Collins As New Defensive Coordinator
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Mike Collins, formerly assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at McNeese State, is joining the Sam Houston State football staff, Bearkat director of athletics Bobby Williams and head coach Willie Fritz have announced.
Collins served two stints with McNeese State.
As an assistant to Bobby Keasler from 1991 to 1997, he coached linebackers as McNeese won four Southland Conference titles and played in the NCAA Division I national championship game in 1997.
“Mike Collins will be a super fit for us here at Sam Houston,” Fritz said. “I’ve known Mike a long time. He runs a similar defensive structure to what we have been doing here. We’re fortunate to get Mike at Sam Houston.”
Rejoining the Cowboy staff in 2008, he served as defensive coordinator and secondary coach.
The 2009 Cowboys were Southland co-champions and league runner-up in 2010.
While at McNeese, Collins coached six All-America selections as well as the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year three times.
“This is a great opportunity. I’m excited to be a Bearkat,” Collins said. “What interested me most about the position was the outstanding job Coach Fritz has done here at Sam Houston. I appreciate the way the team has played with such discipline. I’ve also seen the support the university administration has given the program. Sam Houston obviously is committed to success in athletics. I am thankful for the opportunity they have given me.”
Collins got his start in coaching as a graduate assistant at Louisiana-Monroe in 1983-84.
From there, he served as an assistant coach at Ouachita Parish High School before joining the staff at McNeese State in 1991.
He left McNeese after the 1997 season to work at his alma mater, Louisiana-Monroe, where he coached for five years.
Collins first served as linebacker coach in 1998 and then as the defensive coordinator for three years.
He took over as interim head coach at Louisiana-Monroe three games into the 2002 season before being named the teams’ permanent head coach on Nov. 20 of that year.
In 2003, Collins spent a season as an intern on the national championship staff of Nick Saban at LSU.
He then joined the Tiger staff full-time in March of 2004 as LSU’s linebackers coach.
In 2005 he moved to Northwestern State as defensive coordinator and assistant head coach.
In 2007 he served as linebacker coach at Kilgore High School before returning for his second stint in Lake Charles with the Cowboys in 2008.
Collins is a 1983 graduate of Louisiana-Monroe, where he lettered for four years as a center in football.
He earned his master’s degree from Louisiana-Monroe in 1984.
He is married to the former Terri Brinson and the couple has two children, John Michael and Matt.
His father, Pat Collins, coached Louisiana-Monroe to a national title.
SHSU Runner’s Up To Rival SFA In SLC Track And Field Championships
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Paced by gold medals by Karique Stephen, De’Quad Binder and Matthew Johnson, the Sam Houston men’s team finished as the runner-up in the 2013 Southland Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships Sunday in Lake Charles, La.
Stephen F. Austin won the men’s competition with 162 points.
Sam Houston State was second with 137.5.
The performance gives the Bearkat men bookend Southland runner-up trophies after Sam Houston also finished as the runner-up at the Southland Indoor meet in February.
Stephen won the triple jump with a mark of 51’ 9”.
His Bearkat teammate Charles White placed second with a distance of 51’ 3.75”.
Binder earned the Southland 800 meters championship with a time of 1:53.39.
Johnson took gold in the decathlon with 7,496 points Friday and Saturday.
Johnson won eight of the 10 events. Johnson also was a third place finisher in the 110 meter hurdles (14.35)
Matthew Viverette was the runner-up in the 110 meter hurdles (141.31)and placed third in the 400 meter hurdles (52.89).
Trevor Sealy placed second in the hammer (196’ 11”)
Sam Houston’s 4×100 relay of Treyvion White, Kristen Mitchell, Jarrick Wright and Leroy Harris were runners-up with a 41.19 clocking.
Andrew Waller, Viverette, Binder and Rodney Jones were runners-up in the 4×400 relay (3:14.75).
Clint Anders placed third in the 1500 meters (3:52.30). Rodney Jones was third in the 400 meters (47.21)
The Bearkat women earned a third place team finish behind Stephen F. Austin (171) and McNeese (134).
Sam Houston scored 100 points.
Adriene Quillin, Shelbie Zotyka and the women’s 4×400 relay brought home gold medals Sunday.
Quillin won the hammer with a throw of 181’ 5”. Zotyka vaulted 12’ 10.75”.
Tonicia Wimberley, Lygia Foreman, Ruth Amaku and Jordan Grady combined for a winning time of 3:41.40.
Amaku also was the runner-up in the 400 meter hurdles (1:00.91).
Winnie Ileso placed third in the 100 meter hurdles (14.08) and Foreman was third in the 400 meter dash (55.44)
Bearkats Falls Short In Decisive Game
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
A 5-4 loss to Northwestern State in a “winner-take-all” final Saturday in Natchitoches ended an amazing run by the No. 3 seeded Bearkats in the 2013 Southland Conference softball tournament.
After falling to 1-0 to Northwestern State in a game interrupted by a 15-hour rain delay Thursday and Friday, Sam Houston four consecutive victories, outscoring Lamar, Southeastern Louisiana, Central Arkansas and Northwestern State 30-9.
But the Demons bounced back from a 5-0 shutout in the first title game to win a shoot out that came down to the last out to earn the Southland’s NCAA playoff berth as the No. 2 seed.
“After 16 hours of softball, it came down to one run,” SHSU head coach Bob Brock. “I’m proud of how hard our kids fought today. I’m especially proud of the leadership our four seniors gave this year. The fact that all four earned all-tournament honors shows just how valuable they have been.”
Sam Houston appeared to be in the driver’s seat after a two-run homer by Kim Damian and an RBI single by Shelbi Tucker in the sixth inning gave the Bearkats a 4-3 lead.
But a two-run single by Cali Burke brought in the winning runs in the top of the seventh.
With runners at second and third and two outs, the Demons retired the Bearkats to earn the win.
Sam Houston ends the season with a 37-24 mark.
The Demons advance to the playoffs with a 40-13 record.
Designated Hillary Adams put the first run on the board with an RBI single to left field in the top of the first inning.
The hit scored second baseman Alyssa Coggins who singled and reached second on a wild pitch.
Brittany Virgoe evened the score at 1-1 with a solo home run over the left field bleachers, her eighth home run of the year and the first run for the Demons in nine innings Saturday.
Both teams left runners stranded on third base in the third inning.
Natalie Landry put the Demons ahead 3-1 in the top of the fourth inning with a two-run homer to left center.
Shelby Lancaster (15-8) was the losing pitcher for Sam Houston.
Following the tournament, six Bearkats were selected as all-tournament. They were Benavidez, Coggins, Damian, Tucker and Isbell.
Bearkats’ Win Forced Decisive Game In SLC Tournament
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Totaling 12 hits off All-Southland pitcher Kylie Roos, Sam Houston forced a “winner-take-all” championship game on the last day of the Southland softball tournament with a 5-0 win over Northwestern State.
The Bearkats became the first team in seven seasons to come out of the elimination bracket to force an “as necessary” game in championship competition.
The No. 2 seeded Demons were playing in only their third game in the event after receiving a first round bye and winning two games to reach the title contest.
Sam Houston on the other hand fought its way through the elimination bracket.
Sophomore Haley Baros, a third team All-Southland selection, held the Demons scoreless for only the fifth time this season to up her season record to 11-8.
Sam Houston scored first as third baseman Shelbi Tucker singled with one out in the top of the second inning.
Catcher Ashley Isbell doubled to center field where the Demon defender bobbled the ball, allowing Tucker to score from first base.
Shortstop Tiffany Castillo’s RBI single scored Hillary Adams in the third inning.
First baseman Kim Damian made it 3-0 with a bases loaded hard hit ball to the pitcher to score Jessica Slater.
Coggins had an RBI single in the sixth and Tiffany Castillo scored on a wild pitch in the top of the seventh.
Sam Houston upped its season record to 37-23 while the Demons dropped to 39-13.