Both Collins boys went on to play basketball for John Boyle at Madison East High School. Both went on to play hoops in college, Mike at Dartmouth and Steve a three-time captain at Lawrence. Mike became a highly successful venture capitalist, and Boyle figured Steve, an intelligent, hard-working type just like his older brother, would end up choosing a career along those same lines.
Instead, Steve became a mathematics teacher and prep boys basketball coach, producing a highly successful career in his own right. The second part of that path ended last Saturday night at the Kohl Center, where Collins made official what was one of the worst-kept secrets in town: He’s retiring after a remarkable run of 28 seasons at Vel Phillips Memorial High School.
Collins, who will continue teaching until the end of the school year, had decided last summer that it was time to retire. That he helped guide the Spartans to a share of the Big Eight Conference title and an appearance in the WIAA Division 1 state championship game provided an appropriate exclamation point at the end of a career that included many wins and championships.