Nicki Collen pegged to lead Lady Bears
WACO, Texas (BVM) — Replacing a legend can be difficult. Just ask Aaron Rodgers, or now ask Nicki Collen, who will be replacing Kim Mulkey, who left to become head women’s basketball coach at LSU.
On Monday, it was announced that she would be taking over as the head coach at Baylor.
“Today is an exciting day for Baylor University and our women’s basketball program. Nicki is a passionate leader of young women, and an elite basketball mind and teacher of the game,” Baylor University Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Mack Rhoades said in a press release. “She is a great mission fit who shares in our vision of Preparing Champions for Life by commanding excellence both on and off the court. Nicki’s professional experience will be invaluable to developing players for the next level. Her addition sustains our commitment to the women’s basketball program at the highest level. We welcome Nicki, her husband Tom, and children, Connor, Reese, and Logan, to the Baylor family.”
Before taking the Baylor job, Collen was the head coach of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream. She’s been the Dream’s coach since 2018. In her first season, she led the team to a 23-11 record. Collen also won the WNBA Coach of the Year in her rookie season.
We are grateful to Nicki Collen for her hard work coaching the Dream over the past three years. We wish her great success at Baylor University. pic.twitter.com/gyUnMUgcFM
— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) May 4, 2021
“We are excited to have Nicki lead our women’s basketball program, and we look forward to welcoming her into the Baylor Family,” Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone said in the release. “I appreciate the work of Mack Rhoades and his team in identifying our next coach who understands our commitment to an elite program, aligns with Baylor’s Christian mission, and appreciates how we prepare champions for life at our University. After visiting personally with Coach Collen, I can’t wait to see her and our student-athletes as they represent our great University both on the court and inside the classroom as well as throughout the Waco community.”
Before she started coaching, Collen’s collegiate career spanned four seasons. She helped the Purdue Boilermakers make it to the Final Four and finished with a 29-5 overall record. In her sophomore season, the Boilermakers would make another appearance in the NCAA Tournament, this time reaching the Elite Eight. Collen would then transfer to Marquette University and help the Golden Eagles reach the NCAA Tournament twice.
At Marquette, Collen would average seven assists and record 421 assists in her final two collegiate seasons.
Following her playing days, Collen would get right into coaching. Her first job was at Colorado State, where her husband Tom Collen coached. Following that season, she would spend eight more years as an assistant coach. She would then have assistant coaching tenures at Ball State, Louisville, Arkansas, and Florida Gulf Coast. Six of those nine seasons were spent with her husband (Colorado State, Louisville, and Arkansas).
Now, Nicki who will be replacing Mulkey, will aim to keep the Lady Bears program performing at high levels. It’s going to be a lot of work, but Collen is up for the challenge.
“I am thrilled to be the head coach at Baylor University. I believe it is the top job in the country for women’s basketball,” Collen said in the release. “I am excited to begin working with this extremely talented team, and I am grateful for the unwavering support of President Livingstone and Mack Rhoades. The success of this program speaks for itself, and I will begin working today to ensure Baylor women’s basketball continues to be a program that excels at the highest levels.”
It’s time to go to work! 😤#SicEm | #NewBeginnings pic.twitter.com/a0Mih1dsYT
— Baylor Women's Basketball (@BaylorWBB) May 4, 2021
