SIUE will have a new baseball coach for the first time in 34 years

The 64-year-old Collins, who coached the Cougars for the past 34 years, has been named SIUE's first director of development for intercollegiate athletics.

"I am excited to have Gary lead our development efforts," SIUE Director of Athletics Dr. Brad Hewitt said in a release. "We have been very successful working together during my 22 years at SIUE. Gary has relationships with alumni and friends of Cougar athletics that garner him instant credibility with our prospects and current donors.

"I am confident he will bring many of our ongoing development activities to a successful fruition."

No immediate successor was named as SIUE's new head baseball coach, but Collins said current associate head coach Tony Stoecklin has been named acting head coach.

Stoecklin is a former SIUE standout pitcher who also pitched in the minor leagues. He's been coaching at SIUE for 12 years and in recent years has handled the majority of the recruiting duties.

"I certainly supported him, he's done an awful lot for me the last 12 years and seven of those he was part-time," Collins said. "He's certainly deserving of an opportunity. He's done all the recruiting the last five or six years, pretty much all of it. That was another thing I won't miss."

Former Edwardsville High and Wichita State slugger Danny Jackson just finished his second year as a Cougar assistant coach.

Collins' baseball teams compiled a record of 1,028-766-7, making him the winningest coach in the history of the school. He closed out his career helping transition the Cougars into the Division I ranks over the past three seasons.

"It was my decision, although a lot of people kept telling me it was time," Collins joked when asked about his decision to step down as coach. "I can't do this forever and I ought to get out at some point. The thought was going through that transition (to Division I) was not easy and there's another opportunity for me to be involved.