Saginaw Valley is losing its head coach to Army. Jim Collins, who had been the head coach of the Division 2 program since 2008, is leaving the program for a position within the Army football program. According to Football Scoop, that role is expected to be director of recruiting for the Black Knights.
Saginaw Valley confirmed the departure of Collins with a statement on their official website on Monday. Defensive coordinator Adam Gonzaga will take on the role of interim head coach of the program while a decision on the next full-time head coach will be made at a later time.
“I would like to thank the entire SVSU community for the opportunity and support provided to me to lead the football program over the last 11 years,” Collins said in a released statement.
“I am excited for the future of Cardinal Football and confident that I am leaving the football program in a very good place,” Collins said. “The program is made up of high character individuals who show up every day, work hard, compete, display an awesome amount of grit, and share a special bond with each other. I am extremely proud of all of them.”
Collins accumulated a record of 65-56 over the past 11 seasons. During that run, Saginaw Valley State played in the D2 playoffs in 2009, 2011 and 2013 and the Cardinals won three consecutive GLIAC North Division championships from 2011 through 2013.
Collins joins the Army program at a good time. The Black Knights are coming off a 10-win season and have enjoyed recent success against rival Navy. Recruiting for a service academy can be a difficult task, but this is clearly a worthwhile position to be in.
