FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            Where most coaches would cringe at the mere thought of an hourlong press conference after a series of one-on-one Zoom media sessions, Nicki Collen seemed to enjoy the moment.
            As much as Baylor's new head women's basketball coach said "it's about the players" – and that's not just lip service, she really believes it – this was her moment.
            Mixing in some lighthearted humor with vulnerability, emotion and a passion for the game of basketball that's unmistakable, the 45-year-old coach shared at Wednesday's opening press conference exactly who Nicki Collen is.
            "I'm a kid that fell in love with basketball in the fifth grade when I hit the game-winning shot in a rec-league game that my dad was coaching," she said. Rattling it off like it's just another line in her impressive resume, she adds, "I played for Pizza Hut, and we beat American Family Insurance."
            That was her "ah-ha" moment, she said, "because every step of my life since then has been defined by that orange ball."
            "From falling in love with the game, to getting a college degree, to playing overseas, to getting involved in coaching and meeting my husband and having kids and following my husband's career and then making this mine, truly mine, it's been about that orange ball. It was my first love. Not my only love, but my first love. And I'm still in love with it. I'm in love with the coaching aspect of it, but I promise you, if I could still be playing, I'd rather be playing."
            It was that passion for the game that ultimately convinced Baylor Vice President and Director of Athletics Mack Rhoades that a fourth-year head coach in the WNBA (Atlanta Dream) was the choice to lead a Baylor Lady Bear program that won three national championships and 11-consecutive Big 12 titles under Kim Mulkey before she left last week for the job at LSU.
            "Her combination of high intellect and humility, her faith, her belief, the way her Christian values align with Baylor's, her unbelievable passion and wisdom for the game of basketball and the way she pours into her players is why we selected Nicki Collen as the fifth women's basketball coach here at Baylor University," Rhoades said. "Here's to new beginnings."
            Although Rhoades had a one-hour phone conversation with Collen and spent another seven hours with her and the search committee on Sunday, he said it became "really clear" within the first hour that, "Yes, she's our head coach."
            "There was no doubt that she coaches for the right reason," Rhoades said. "It's about the players."
            Words that were echoed by Baylor President Dr. Linda Livingstone, who said it was "really clear that (Collen) was absolutely the right person to step in and take what is an elite program and continue to develop it at a very, very high level, while also developing our players into just outstanding young women who are going to contribute in so many ways in life as they leave Baylor."
            Admitting that it's a "daunting task," Collen follows Mulkey, a Hall of Fame coach who led Baylor to a 21-year record of 632-104 with a combined 23 Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles and three national championships in 2005, 2012 and 2019. The 2021 Lady Bears finished 28-3, losing to UConn, 69-67, in the Elite Eight.
            "It's a daunting task, but coaches like challenges," Collen said. "I'm going to keep saying this: I'm not Kim Mulkey. I'm not going to try to be Kim Mulkey. I'm at that point in my life and career where I'm comfortable being Nicki Collen. . . . I'm going to do it my way, and it might look and sound a little differently. The similar part is we're both competitive. We may do it a different way, but there's probably going to be more similarities than differences."
            An assistant coach on the collegiate level in stops at Colorado State, Ball State, Louisville, Arkansas and Florida Gulf Coast, Collen said "Baylor is synonymous with Kim Mulkey," motioning to the championship banners hanging from the Ferrell Center rafters.
            "Hopefully, in 10 years, you'll say my name, too, that I won't just be the coach that replaced Kim," she said.
            After a playing career at Purdue and Marquette that included a Final Four run with Purdue as a freshman in 1993-94 and four-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, Collen began her coaching career as an assistant at Colorado State under her future husband, Tom Collen. They were married in 2001 and have three children, Connor, Reese and Logan.
            "I became a better recruiter when I had kids," she said. "I understand what parents are thinking and feeling. When they would call these 17-year-olds their babies, I would think, 'They're not babies.' I look at mine, and now I have a 13-year-old baby. So, I get it. Once I became a mom, I started to understand how parents are thinking and how they want this person in their life to be someone that can truly help their child grow up and empower them to be a successful human once they leave, regardless of being a great basketball player."
            Saying she hasn't had maybe the traditional trajectory of a rising coach, Collen was out of coaching for seven years as a stay-at-home mom and has also been a broadcaster and collegiate and WNBA coach, "and I've been all over the country."
            "It doesn't look like anybody's else's path, but I loved every step of the way because it got me here," she said.
            Going back into coaching, she was an assistant for three years at Arkansas and two seasons at Florida Gulf Coast before jumping into the WNBA as an assistant under head coach Curt Miller with the Connecticut Sun.
            Chris Sienko, who was the Sun's general manager and later the president and GM of the Atlanta Dream, sent an email to Rhoades saying that Collen "will be a tremendous asset to Baylor."
            "Our first year together in Connecticut proved she was much more than an assistant," Sienko wrote. "She was nurturing, a teacher, a great observer, respected and willing to help on any front. When we had the opportunity to bring her to Atlanta, there were no other candidates. She is loved by the athletes, staff and fans alike. Nicki reciprocates by doing all that is necessary to surpass expectations and be equipped for every situation."
            Earning WNBA Coach of the Year honors as a rookie head coach in 2018, she led the Dream to a 23-11 season and the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. She had a three-year record of 38-52 and was scheduled to begin her fourth season next Friday, May 14, when Atlanta hosts Connecticut.
            "Her players know she is a shoulder to lean on and a voice of reason," Sienko continued. "Her skills as a mother translate to the court and will do so with these young women she's about to coach. And most important, Nicki is a woman of faith, which helps guide her through her journey."
            In conclusion, Sienko wrote, "Mr. Rhoades, you and your team have made the perfect choice for the future of the women's program."
            Saying Baylor is a "desirable location for coaches," Collen hopes to start putting together her staff soon, but her "No. 1 priority is re-recruiting this team, collectively and individually."
            "I think it's an individual choice for each of them," Collen said of a potential list of returning players that includes 2021 Wade Trophy winner and Big 12 Player of the Year NaLyssa Smith, 6-3 junior center Queen Egbo and the backcourt tandem of Moon Ursin and Trinity Oliver. Senior guards DiJonai Carrington and DiDi Richards were both taken in the WNBA Draft.
            "I chose Baylor, and I want them to re-choose me and I want them to re-choose Baylor. I think it's all been positive but ultimately it's a personal decision for them."
            Collen also thanked the Baylor Lady Bear fans for "setting the standard for what it looks like to show up for a team day-in and day-out."
            "I promise, you'll love how we play," she said. "If you embrace me, I'm going to embrace you. And I should probably flip that around, because I'm probably going to embrace you before you embrace me. You might be thinking, 'Is she any dang good?' But honestly, I will embrace you first."

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

Players Mentioned

DiJonai Carrington

Queen Egbo

Trinity Oliver

DiDi Richards

NaLyssa Smith

Moon Ursin

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