May 3, 2006
Normal, Ill. -
Dr. James E. Collie, Sr., whose fast-breaking basketball teams in the late 1950s and 1960s set the pace for Illinois State's rise to Division I college athletics, has died at age 84. Widely known as "Gentleman Jim," his 209 coaching victories are still No. 2 in Illinois State men's basketball history. Collie was elected to the ISU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1976.
As a coach, Collie believed in, and enjoyed, a fast-paced, high-scoring style of basketball which not only put points on the board and victories in the record books, but also put fans in the stands. Much of today's Redbird basketball tradition of success and fan support traces to the Collie Era, 1958-1970.
Duffy Bass, ISU's baseball coach in that era, remembers Collie's calm demeanor--a contrast to the furious pace at which his teams played the game.
"I never saw Jim get upset," said Bass, Illinois State's baseball coach from 1963-1988. "Maybe he would get disturbed a little. But never upset. Jim was a taskmaster, but always a gentleman who had the respect of his players. They played hard for him, and he had a lot of success."
Roger Cushman, Illinois State's sports information director from 1966-1980, has fond memories of the always-genial Collie, whose teams grew to be known as the "Runnin' Redbirds."
"I remember him as a person of good humor, optimistic and upbeat," said Cushman. "`Gentleman Jim' really fit his personality and the way he treated other people. He treated his players with respect--I never saw him yell or scream at them. He loved the game and thought it should be entertaining. And the fans loved the way his teams played--the `Runnin' Redbirds' as they were called."
Collie and his wife, Ruby, who survives, were married in 1943. They had five children, 13 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Shortly before his coaching career ended, Collie was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, which he battled to the end of his life. Collie's family asked that memorials be made to the James Collie Fund at Illinois State University Athletics (for more information about the Collie Fund, contact Larry Morlan at 309-438-5111).
Collie arrived at Illinois State in 1957 after coaching stops at Friends University in Wichita, Kan., and McKendree College in Lebanon, Ill. He inherited a program which had seldom finished a season above .500 since World War II ended, but his high-speed offense generated a quick turnaround. In just his second season, Collie led the `Birds to a school-record 24 wins, an NAIA District championship and recognition as Illinois Coach of the Year.
As victories mounted, fan support increased and the Redbirds moved from McCormack Gym to Horton Field House in the mid-1960s. Collie's coaching success reached new heights as the 1966-67 team finished fourth in the NCAA College Division (now Division II) Tournament. With star players Jerry McGreal, Steve Ahrends and George Terry returning, the 1967-68 team went 25-3, ranked No. 3 in the nation, but was upset early in the NCAA Tournament.
Two years later, with Illinois State poised to join NCAA Division I, Collie shocked the ISU community by resigning after 21 years as a college coach. With an overall coaching record of 329-222, including 209-139 at Illinois State, Collie's final legacy was a recruit who played on the Redbird freshman squad in 1969-70: Doug Collins--future all-American, USA Olympic hero, and NBA all-star player, coach and broadcaster. Collie was succeeded by Will Robinson.
Collie coached a host of Redbird players who have joined him in the Illinois State Athletics Hall of Fame, including McGreal, Ahrends, Terry, Tom Taulbee, Gene Jontry, Buzz Shaw, John Swart, Wardell Vaughn and Dave Schertz.
Born May 13, 1922 in Calloway County, Ky., Collie was a World War II veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He earned a bachelor's degree from Murray State in 1947, and both a master's degree (1948) and doctorate (1952) from Indiana University. While at Illinois State, he also served as a professor in the School of Kinesiology and Recreation. After retiring from coaching, he served in the ISU Office of Admissions in the 1970s.
