Tom Collen

Tom Collen
Sport(s) Women's Basketball
Current position
Title Former Head Coach
Biographical details
Born November 1, 1953
Lancaster, OH
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1981–1984
1984–1986
1986–1993
1993–1997
1997-2002
2003-2007
2007-2014
Miami (OH) (Asst.)
Utah (Asst.)
Purdue (Asst.)
Arkansas (Asst.)
Colorado State
Louisville
Arkansas

Tom Collen is a college women's basketball coach who was most recently the head coach at the University of Arkansas.

Early life

Collen was born in 1953 in Lancaster, Ohio, and received his bachelor's degree in Physical Education from Bowling Green State University in 1977. He earned a master's degree in Health Education from Miami University (of Ohio) in 1982, and another in 1983 in Recreational Programming.[1]

Coaching career

Collen began his coaching career at Miami University in 1981, where he worked for three seasons. He was assistant coach at the University of Utah from 1984 to 1986, and at the Purdue University from 1986 to 1993.[1]

In 1993 he moved to the University of Arkansas, where he was assistant coach and recruiting coordinator until 1997. He was named assistant head coach for his last two seasons.[2] The year after he left, the Arkansas team went to the Final Four of the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship. Arkansas' women's athletic director Bev Lewis said "his reputation as a recruiter is among the best in the country."[3]

Collen left the University of Arkansas in 1997 to take the head coaching job at Colorado State University. Colorado State went to the NCAA Tournament four times in five seasons under his leadership.[3] In 1999, his team played in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen, and Collen was named coach of the year.[4] His winning percentage of 79.6% (129 wins and 33 losses) ranked fourth among Division I women's basketball coaches at the time.[5]

After the 2001-2002 season, Collen accepted a position at Vanderbilt University but resigned the next day over a discrepancy discovered on his resume.[3] He had listed two master's degrees from Miami University, but Miami had reported only one degree in two subjects. Miami later acknowledged its mistake.[6] By then both Vanderbilt and Colorado State had new head coaches. Collen took a year off from coaching, working as a television commentator and a consultant for the WNBA.[6]

In 2003, Collen was hired at the University of Louisville by Tom Jurich, who had been director of athletics at Colorado State when Collen was hired there. During Collen's four seasons, Louisville had an 87-37 record and made the NCAA tournament three times.[2]

In 2007, Collen became head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks.[4] Under his leadership the team began the 2007 season with a school record 15 consecutive wins.[7]

Collen was dismissed from his position at the University of Arkansas on March 7, 2014 following a 19-11 season.[8]

Head coaching record

Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Colorado State (Western Athletic Conference) (1997–2002)
1997–1998 Colorado State 24-6 11-3 T-2nd NCAA 2nd Round
1998–1999 Colorado State 33-3 14-0 1st NCAA Sweet Sixteen
1999–2000 Colorado State 23-10 10-4 3rd WNIT Quarterfinals
2000-2001 Colorado State 25-7 10-4 3rd NCAA 2nd Round
2001–2002 Colorado State 24-7 12-2 1st NCAA 1st Round
Colorado State: 129–33 (.796) 57–13 (.814)
Louisville (Conference USA) (2003–2005)
2003–2004 Louisville 20-10 11-3 T-2nd WNIT 1st Round
2004–2005 Louisville 22-9 11-3 2nd NCAA 1st Round
Louisville (C-USA): 42–19 (.689) 22–6 (.786)
Louisville Cardinals (Big East Conference) (2005–2007)
2005–2006 Louisville 19-10 10-6 5th NCAA 1st Round
2006–2007 Louisville 27-8 10-6 T-5th NCAA 2nd Round
Louisville (Big East): 46–18 (.719) 20–12 (.625)
Louisville (Overall): 88–37 (.704)
Arkansas (Southeastern Conference) (2007–2014)
2007–2008 Arkansas 17-13 2-12 11th
2008–2009 Arkansas 19-14 6-8 8th WNIT 3rd Round
2009–2010 Arkansas 12-18 4-12 T-12th
2010–2011 Arkansas 21-12 6-10 9th WNIT Quarterfinals
2011–2012 Arkansas 24-9 10-6 T-4th NCAA 2nd Round
2012–2013 Arkansas 20-13 6-10 T-8th WNIT 2nd Round
2013–2014 Arkansas 19-11 6-10 T-11th
Arkansas: 132–90 (.595) 40-68 (.370)
Total: 349–160 (.686)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Tom Collen Named Women's Basketball Coach At Colorado State (April 20, 1997) RamLine.com. Accessed 2007-12-24.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Tom Collen Resigns as Women's Basketball Coach (March 23, 2007) UofLSports. Accessed 2007-12-21.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Collen eyes return to national prominence for Arkansas (March 23, 2007) ESPN.com. Accessed 2007-12-21.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Collen Named Head Basketball Coach (March 23, 2007) Ladybacks.com. Accessed 2007-12-24.
  5. Benjamin Lampkin (March 25, 2003). Tom Collen named women's head coach. The Louisville Cardinal. Accessed 2007-12-21.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Tom Weir (February 19, 2004). Collen restores his good name while building a winner USA Today. Accessed 2007-12-21.
  7. #25 Lady'Backs gun down Lady Raiders (January 5, 2008) Ladybacks.com. Accessed 2008-01-06.
  8. "UA: Tom Collen dismissed as women's basketball coach". KHBS/KHOG FORT SMITH-FAYETTEVILLE. Retrieved 7 Mar 2014.