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Chris Collins Reportedly Makes Decision On Future At Northwestern

Originally posted on The Spun | By Kameron Duncan | Last updated Apr 3, 2025 5:41 PM ET

In his 12 seasons as head coach, Chris Collins has had a transformative impact on the Northwestern men's basketball program. He is responsible for the only three NCAA Tournament appearances in program history, as well as for the program's three tournament wins.

Collins has kept Northwestern competitive through a changing college sports landscape, and they even ended this season above .500 for the year while navigating a new-look Big Ten.

The program has been changed for the better because of Collins' hard work and influence, and the university is set to reward him with a new contract extension.

According to CBS college basketball insider Jon Rothstein, Collins has agreed to a new multi-year extension. The new deal will make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the Big Ten, a league with some of the most resources in all of college sports.

Sources: Northwestern's Chris Collins has agreed to a multi-year contract extension that will put him among the top coaches in the Big Ten in terms of salary and compensation.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 3, 2025

Collins had his best season at Northwestern two years ago, when he led the Wildcats to a second-place finish in the Big Ten. It was the highest finish for Northwestern basketball since the 1950s, and it also included a massive win over then-top ranked Purdue.

That year, Northwestern earned a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament and defeated Boise State in the first round before losing to UCLA.

Collins would lead Northwestern to its first-ever back-to-back tournament berths the following season. They defeated Florida Atlantic in the first round as the No. 9 seed before losing to eventual national champions UConn in the second round.

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 18: Head coach Chris Collins of the Northwestern Wildcats is called for a technical foul against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the second round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 18, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Collins joined the Northwestern program after several stops as an assistant. He worked in the WNBA with the Detroit Shock before a stint with Seton Hall.

Collins joined Mike Krzyzewski's staff at Duke in 2000 after playing for Coach K in the 1990s. As a Blue Devil, Collins earned All-ACC honors after arriving to Durham as Mr. Basketball in the state of Illinois.

Collins helped Duke recruit Jon Scheyer, who became a national champion for the Blue Devils and is now the team's head coach following Krzyzewski's retirement.

We'll see what the future holds for Collins, but it seems that his path will continue to keep him on the sidelines at Northwestern for the foreseeable future.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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