The return of Doug Collins

[nyk]

Collins returning to Bulls as head coach

ESPN.com May 29, 2008, 1:41 PM ET

The Chicago Bulls' next head coach will be a familiar face.

Doug Collins, who has coached the Bulls, Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons, will be hired as Chicago's new coach.

Doug Collins can turn around a team quickly. In each of his three previous stops, the team he has taken over has seen an immediate improvement.

Among the factors that led to Collins' decision to return to the NBA: his relationship with Bulls general manager John Paxson, whom he coached; his relationship with team owner Jerry Reinsdorf, whom he worked for earlier in his coaching career; and the fond memories he has of his time in Chicago in the early part of Michael Jordan's prolific career.

Earlier this month, Collins told ESPN.com's Marc Stein that he had "no interest" in coaching again.

Collins, currently an NBA analyst with TNT, last coached in 2002 with the Wizards. His overall record is 332-228, 15-23 in the postseason.

Collins, who started coaching the Bulls in 1986, was fired in 1989, despite leading the team to the Eastern Conference finals. He was replaced by Phil Jackson, who went on to coach the team to six NBA titles.

Collins made the playoffs all three seasons in Chicago and his teams went 137-109.

Expected to contend in the Eastern Conference after reaching the second round of the playoffs last season, Chicago plummeted, losing 49 games. Coach Scott Skiles was fired in December, and interim coach Jim Boylan lost his job after the season finale. But suddenly, luck seems to be smiling on the Bulls.

Chicago will pick first overall in the 2008 draft after winning the draft lottery.

Collins also had a solid NBA playing career, averaging 17.9 points in eight seasons after being selected No. 1 overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1973 draft out of Illinois State. He was selected to four All-Star games.

[NJTank]

Wow 20 years later, Collins returns to Chicago after being canned for being seen as not being able to take Jordan the next step.

[ShinyHubCaps]

That's going to be awkward, because I heard that he'll be the color commentator in NBA 2K9. I expect all of the commentary about the Bulls to be conspicuously glowing.

Also, is it a trend for people to get out of analysis and back into the game? I noticed that Steve Kerr is back in the front office after a relatively successful stint as Marv Albert's wingman.

[DDR]

I think it'll be a good fit. Yes, he was let go (partially) because he couldn't take Jordan that next step further, but remember, Jordan leapt from 28 PPG in his rookie year to 37 in Collins' first year two years later (MJ was injured the year between and didn't play much). After Collins' first year, Jordan really started to blossom as an all-around player and while much of that is simply Jordan getting better, Collins deserves at least some credit for molding MJ and that young Bulls squad into what they became under Phil Jackson. Now, Collins will get another chance to mold a future Superstar in Chicago in Michael Beasley, or what seems more likely at this point, Derrick Rose.

[ferrousoxide66]

The retreads just keep coming...

Didn't Doug flame out spectacularly as the Pistons' boss most recently?

IT'S FAN-TASTIC!

[DEAD!]

So, when is Jordan coming back?

[ferrousoxide66]

Mike Fratello needs work, btw.