Earnest Collins embraces Gateway coaching opportunity after nearly decade leading UNC

Earnest Collins looked crossed the country astatine his archetypal squad gathering arsenic the caller caput shot manager astatine Gateway High School and counted the varsity players.

Suddenly, the gravity of his rebuilding task became real.

“I had 17 guys,” Collins recalled.

Taking implicit a struggling programme with constricted resources? This sounds familiar.

Collins spent 9 years arsenic caput manager astatine the University of Northern Colorado (2011-19) done its hard modulation into Division-I football. Now, arsenic a first-time caput manager astatine the precocious schoolhouse level, his ngo is to make an Aurora Public Schools sleeper into a accordant Class 4A contender.

“I ever get the questions: Why precocious school? Why Gateway of each places?” Collins said. “These young radical merit to person idiosyncratic that believes they tin execute immoderate things. … I’ve ever thought astir ending my vocation astatine this level. I wouldn’t accidental I’m toward the end. I’ve inactive got astir 10 oregon 15 years left, I think, earlier I retire.

“I privation to spot the grassroots of football.”

Collins — a erstwhile UNC antiaircraft backmost and punt returner (1991-94) — appeared connected the close caput coaching way to elevate the Bears.

His predecessor, Scott Downing, was fired aft compiling a 9-47 wide record. Collins had lone 7 full-time adjunct coaching positions funded successful 2011 arsenic the squad moved into FCS play. He overcame those likelihood for winning seasons 2015 and 2016 — highlighted by quarterback Kyle Sloter’s breakout elder year.

But the amusive didn’t last. UNC went 7-26 implicit Collins’ last 3 seasons. He was fired and replaced by Ed McCaffrey.

“I recognize this game. I’ve been a portion of assemblage shot for 25 years. No substance the circumstances oregon what the dynamics are, you’ve got to triumph oregon you get fto go,” Collins said. “The bittersweet portion for maine is that I wasn’t capable to get the close operation of guys steadfast to continuously win. … But I was capable to amusement young radical what assemblage athletics should beryllium each about. The important portion is to locomotion retired of determination with a grade successful your hand. We did that.”

Collins is present successful the aboriginal stages of remaking a traditionally hard-luck nationalist schoolhouse program.

Gateway thrived past outpouring successful a COVID-19 condensed season — falling to Thomas Jefferson, 28-27, successful the 4A authorities title game. But the bulk of those Gateway starters connected a senior-heavy roster person since graduated, Collins said.

In-school recruitment efforts to turn squad numbers person worked with astir 50 players present successful the program. The bulk are freshmen and sophomores. Collins did not sugarcoat his team’s short-term reality.

“We’re going to effort and triumph each game, but we’re fundamentally playing a varsity docket with a JV team,” Collins said. “It volition beryllium amusive successful the consciousness that you get to mold them however you privation them. But determination are going to beryllium immoderate increasing pains. I’m looking guardant to it. I’m having amusive with the young men.”

Winning starts with an improved culture. Collins is backmost astatine quadrate one.

He’d similar an artificial turf tract similar his rivals person truthful players tin enactment retired year-round.

“I’m determination arsenic an advocator to unit the territory AD and different folks that volition listen,” Collins said. “We speech astir adjacent opportunities. But we’re not doing the aforesaid for these kids, for immoderate reason, that we’re doing for everybody other successful the state. Some of that has to alteration if you privation Gateway to get to the constituent wherever we tin vie twelvemonth successful and twelvemonth out.

“Give them what everybody other has.”

NEW FACES, NEW PLACES

A database of salient caput coaching hires successful Colorado precocious schoolhouse shot this season, according to accusation compiled by CHSAA.

5A
Castle View — Eric Handke
Grandview — Tom Doherty
Horizon — Robert Wetta
Pomona — Nate Johnson
Poudre — Eric Tonkin
Rangeview — Mike Holmes
Rock Canyon — Kevin Meyer

4A
Eerie — Jeff Giger
Gateway — Earnest Collins
Grand Junction — Landon McKee
Loveland — Allan Jeffries
Palmer Ridge — Mike Armentrout
Wheat Ridge — Nick Leonard

3A
Mountain View — Steve Frye

2A
Bayfield — Ethan Grumke
Fort Lupton — Joey O’Connor
Resurrection Christian — Bob Mauck
Rifle — Todd Casebier
Severance — Jeff Van Winkle
The Pinnacle — Lance Vieira

1A
Jefferson — Richard Trujillo
Roaring Fork — Eric Bollock