After a disappointing 2-8 season last fall, Diablo Valley College football is turning to fresh leadership to steer the program into a new era.
In addition to hiring new offensive and defensive coordinators over the off-season, the Vikings now have a new head coach, Jimmy Collins, who led winning teams during his 15 years of coaching at City College of San Francisco—including taking two national championships, numerous conference championships, and nine playoff wins.
Collins, who earned two All-American Coach of the Year awards in the process, also sent 213 of his players to compete at the university level.
“We had a high transfer rate to four-year programs,” Collins told The Inquirer in a recent interview. “Eighty-seven percent of our players transferred to four-year schools, with over 50 percent of them to division one programs.”
He added, “[I’m] hoping to continue that, and have it grow even larger here.”
In a statement following his hire, DVC Dean and Director of Athletics Christine Worsley said, “Jimmy’s proven coaching skills, including his ability to build relationships, recruit talent, compete, and win, truly set him apart.”
Worsley added, “his unwavering commitment to the success of his players, both on the field and in their academic pursuits, exemplifies his dedication to excellence.”
For Collins, building a successful season—and more broadly, a successful football program—means helping student athletes find their best selves, both in the classroom and on the field.
That is why, when it comes to transfer rates and winning, he said his priority is “always transfers.”
“[The players’] futures are what we’re most concerned about,” said Collins, who routinely stresses to his players the importance of academics as much as athletics.
“Academically, our goal is to have a team GPA over 3.0,” he said.
“Everyone has audacious goals, but you need to have a certain behavior to accomplish your goals. That’s the challenge.”
Collins said he coaches with a philosophy to instill confidence and determination in each of his players, which helps get the most out of every person on the field.
“We need to establish an expectation that we’ll play with maximum effort from beginning to end,” he said.
Developing an identity that teams fear playing against has worked for Collins in the past.
“We’ll be aware that there’s going to be adversity throughout every game, and throughout the year,” he said, “but [we’ll also be aware] that we have all the tools we need to manage and overcome it.”
With expectations running high as the Vikings football season kicks off, Collins said the excitement he feels is palpable. But it’s going to take work.
“Success doesn’t come by accident,” he said.