When Collins first got together with his new team way back in September at Saint Joseph's, one of the first people making the trek to City Avenue was Johnny Bach, whom Collins calls his coaching mentor. Bach, now 86, was on Collins' staff with the Chicago Bulls. Bach's presence at St. Joe's meant the world to Collins.
From young to old and everywhere in between, Collins is a master of relationships. You can't go to a visiting city where Collins isn't sharing hugs and stories with an opposing coach or media member or general manager. They aren't casual friendships, for the most part. They are deep-rooted, caring, two-way bonds. The kind most people are lucky enough to have with a few people, yet Collins shares it with many. And it is probably the biggest reason why this year's Sixers team has progressed as quickly as it has, going from a 27-win team a season ago, from a 3-13 start this season, to a team that has won 64.5 percent of its in 2011.
Almost immediately after Collins was named head coach back in May, he took a crash course in texting from his daughter, Kelly. More than X's and O's and offensive and defensive schemes, Collins wanted to get to know his players on a personal level. He and his staff traveled all over the country meeting with players individually, trying to understand what went so wrong last year and, more importantly, how to correct it.
The new team he was taking over was littered with players in their young 20s, light years chronologically and socially from their new mentor. Yet, Collins has bridged that gap by getting to know his players as people.
