JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – High school basketball icon James Collins is getting back into the head coaching game
Oakleaf High School announced Collins as its new boys basketball head coach on Wednesday night, a huge move for the program as it looks to replace Jason Price on the sidelines.
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Price had coached Oakleaf since its inception in 2010 and stepped down after the season and more than 250 wins.
In Collins, the Knights get not only a coaching headliner (he averaged more than 17 wins a season at Jackson), but one of the most recognizable athletic names in area history.
Collins stepped down from his head coaching position at Jackson following the 2024 season and 15 years at his alma mater. Collins rebuilt the Tigers into a state power and had four state runner-up finishes. He was 26-4 in his final season with a 49-43 loss to St. Petersburg Gibbs in the final.
As a player, Collins is in the conversation as the best to lace his sneakers up the basketball court. He scored 2,212 points in three years at Jackson (back then, freshmen attended junior high schools) and led Jackson to the fifth and final state championship in program history as a senior in 1993. Collins won the state’s Mr. Basketball award before going on to shine at Florida State. Collins was a second-round selection of the Sixers in 1997.