Chuck Collins

William “Chuck” Collins was a 1982 Tussey Mountain High School graduate and exceptional basketball player for the Titans. Chuck scored 1,459 points for an outstanding three-year varsity career for the Titans. During this span of three seasons, in which Chuck was a starter, the Titans produced an overall record of 76-13. The seasons produced records of 23-5, 23-6, and 30-2. The Titans never lost a home game during that three-year run. Chuck became Tussey Mountain’s all-time leading scorer in 1982, averaged 22.4 points per game, and set a single season team win record that still stands today with 30 wins his senior year. Tussey captured two District 5 titles and one Bedford County League Championship. In speaking of Chuck’s career at Tussey, Coach Dave Bailey commented “From 1980 on, I think we’ve been very good and Chuck’s the guy who really helped us turn the corner. In my mind, he’s been the most legitimate Division I player that we’ve had.”

   After graduating from Tussey, Collins enrolled at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and later transferred to Waynesburg College. He was instrumental in leading Waynesburg to the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) national semifinals.

   Collins began his coaching career in Virginia as a head coach, but he gave up that job in order to work as an assistant coach at Meadowbrook High School under Mike Sutton, former assistant to Tubby Smith at Kentucky and current head coach of Tennessee Tech. Meadowbrook won a Virginia Class AAAA state title while Collins was on the staff.

   Collins then took over as head boys basketball coach in the first year of the newly established program at James River High School in Richmond, VA. He put together an outstanding team that finished third in the 1996 Altoona Rotary Tournament.

   In 1991, Collins was the recipient of the “Coach of the Year” award from the James River School District. He was also selected as coach of the year in the Dominion District in 1997.

   Tragically, Chuck was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia in 1996 and passed away on July 10, 1997, at the age of 33.

   Chuck was a well-respected special education teacher and coach in the Richmond area. James River High School dedicated their gymnasium to him on January 30, 1998. At the time of his passing, Chuck was survived by his wife Jennifer and two sons, Michael and Eric.


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Class of 2011
Bedford County Sports Hall of Fame
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Class of 2011
Class of 2011

Bedford County Sports
Hall of Fame