Sports
Doug Collins
born 1951 · basketball coach and broadcaster
Head coach of the Pistons from 1995 to 1998 who built the team around a young Grant Hill and ended a long losing streak against the rival Chicago Bulls.
- Born
Christopher, Illinois
age 75- Birth name
- Paul Douglas Collins
- Detroit years
- 1995–1998
- Field
- Sports
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Collins, already known for coaching the Chicago Bulls in the late 1980s, took over the Pistons in 1995 as the franchise tried to rebuild around Grant Hill, a young star drawing comparisons to Michael Jordan. His best-remembered Detroit moment came on April 13, 1996, when the Pistons ended a 19-game losing streak against the defending champion Bulls. Under Collins the team improved to 54 wins in 1996–97, though they lost in the first round of the playoffs, and he was fired in February 1998. He went on to further coaching and broadcasting jobs elsewhere before being elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024 as a contributor.
Highlights
- Head coach of the Pistons, 1995–1998
- Ended Detroit's 19-game losing streak to the Chicago Bulls in 1996
- Coached the Pistons to 54 wins in 1996–97
- Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 1
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Worked here · 1995–1998
The Palace of Auburn Hills
Demolished · 1988–2020
Where he coached the Pistons, including the 1996 win that snapped the Bulls losing streak; demolished in 2020.