The Northern Star has learned that former NIU assistant basketball coach Robert Collins is expected to be named the school’s next associate athletic director, replacing Keith Hackett, who resigned in June to take a position at Oklahoma City University.

Athletic director Gerald O’Dell was contacted by the Star but denied any official hiring of anyone.

“We haven’t officially hired anyone,” O’Dell said. “We’re processing paperwork at this time per affirmative action guidelines. Once that process has been completed, we will have the opportunity to officially hire someone.”

Collins, who is currently employed by DePaul University as an assistant coach for the men’s basketball team, was not available for comment.

Collins, 44, was an assistant for three years (1986-89) under former NIU basketball coach Jim Rosborough.

During that tenure, he was responsible for recruiting the likes of former Huskie standouts Donnell Thomas and Donald Whiteside, scouting, coaching and defense.

After Rosborough was fired March 8, 1989, Collins took over as interim coach and hoped to receive the head coaching job along with former DePaul assistant coach Jim Molinari,

Wisconsin-Milwaukee head coach Steve Antrim, Illinois assistant Mark Coomes, Iowa State assistant Jim Hallihan and Indiana assistant Joby Wright.

Collins, at the time, said he had a “vested interest” in the job because he recruited much of the 1989-90 squad. Many of the players had given him their support by indicating they would have definitely stayed if he received the job.

However, O’Dell hired Molinari, and Collins, in turn, migrated to Molinari’s old job at DePaul under head coach Joey Meyer.

Two years later, Collins applied for the open coaching vacancy at NIU when Molinari resigned to accept the head coaching position at Bradley after leading the Huskies to the 1991 NCAA Tournament.

But Collins was not considered one of the three finalists for the job by O’Dell. Former University of Southern California assistant coach Brian Hammel was named as Molinari’s successor and will be entering his third year at the helm this season.

Collins is well-respected in the Chicago area for his coaching success in the Chicago Public League.

Collins coached for two years at Calumet High School and then compiled a 129-43 record in six years as head coach at Robeson High School before coming to NIU in 1986.

He was named the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association District II Coach of the Year in 1984.