FDU women’s basketball head coach Angelika Szumilo welcomed the arrival of new assistant coach and recruiting coordinator LaTanya Collins on Tuesday. Collins joins the Knights after spending the previous two seasons at Detroit Mercy (NCAA Division I – Horizon League), including serving as interim head coach this past season.
A 2000 graduate of Virginia State, Collins’ resume boasts over 12 years of coaching experience, beginning with her time at Southern Vermont, then an NCAA Division III institution in the New England Collegiate Conference. With the Mountaineers, Collins served as head women’s basketball coach, assistant athletic director and Senior Woman Administrator (SWA) with oversight over budgets for several sports, leadership for SVC’s student-athlete advisory council (SAAC) and served on a restructuring committee for the athletic department. Coaching in Bennington, Vt. from 2005-07. In her second and final season at the helm of the South Vermont squad, Collins led the team to four NCAA wins, the most in program history.
“I am incredibly excited to officially announce the addition of LaTanya to our coaching staff,” said Szumilo. “She comes in with loads of experience on all levels, including as a head coach. Her credentials speak for herself but more importantly it was who she is as person is what drew me to her. Her positive attitude, engaging personality and work ethic will become contagious and I look forward to the impact she will make with our student athletes on and off the court.”
Following the 2006-07 season, the Auburn Hills resident was named head coach at St. Augustine’s (NCAA Division II – CIAA) where she coached the Falcons to the fourth-best most improved record, improving the team from a 6-22 mark prior to her arrival to an 18-10 campaign in her lone season. The 18 wins were the most for St. Augustine’s since 1998 and the side finished first in the CIAA in blocks and field goal defense.
After a pair of campaigns at Radford (NCAA Division I – Big South) as an assistant coach, Collins took the reigns of a pair of interscholastic programs, first coaching the Atlee girls basketball team to their first regional tournament appearance in five years, while 10 of 11 team members earned Academic All-Conference recognition that season. Concluding her tenure with the Raiders after two seasons, Collins went on to coach Saint Gertrude program, lifting the team to their first state tournament appearance in 14 years, finishing the season ranked seventh in the state of Virginia and as high as fifth during the season.
Moving back to college ball, Collins was named Assistant to the Head Coach/Director of Student-Athlete Development for Virginia Tech (NCAA Division I – ACC). With VT she coached two All-ACC Academic Team selections, one WNBA draft pick and three now-professional basketball players. Off the court, Collins helped raise fund to fund charters and expenditures for the following season.
Returning to the coaching ranks, Collins spent one season at Coppin State (NCAA Division I – MEAC) as an assistant before taking head coaching roles at Motlow State (NJCAA – TCCAA) and Harford (NJCAA – MD JUCO).
As an assistant at Detroit Mercy, Collins coached a Third Team All-Horizon League selection in Kaela Webb before serving as the interim head coach for the 2021-22 season. There, Collins filled a 14-player roster in just five weeks. Her student-athletes amassed a team GPA of 3.36 and tied the win total of the previous season. Recording 328 offensive rebounds and 251 steals, the Titans had several players rank in the top 10 in steals, boards and three-point field goals made with the team tallying 95 triples in 28 games.
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