GENTRY, Ark. — Chip Collins has been selected as Gentry’s new high school boys’ basketball coach, which was made official by the Gentry School Board tonight. He will begin his new position July 1.
Collins is currently the varsity assistant basketball coach at Keys (Okla.) High School where he helped lead the team to a district championship this year. He previously worked as an assistant in Westville, Okla., with significant accomplishments – three district championships, a regional championship, and a trip to the state tournament quarterfinals – serving under head coach Ron Dunaway, well known in Oklahoma basketball circles for his successes.
“Chip is a great basketball coach and will be a great leader for our student athletes, but he also brings a level of integrity and passion that our community will really appreciate,” said Brent Hester, Gentry’s athletics director. “He loves basketball and working with young athletes on and off the court – he helps young athletes grown into confident, responsible, and hardworking individuals – and he will be a great fit for our program and our school district.”
Collins, a graduate of Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Okla., has coached basketball for the past eight years and is known for his love of basketball and working with young people. While coaching basketball, he has also served in other mentorship and leadership roles as a teacher and an assistant coach in football and baseball.
Collins said he is excited to become Gentry’s next boys’ basketball coach.
“The lessons we coach and teach in sports extend far beyond the hardwood,” Collins said. “Coaching is not just a job – it’s a calling. And I’m excited to build a team culture at Gentry rooted in discipline, integrity, and continuous growth.”
Chip and his wife Jessie have a three-year-old son, Creed. Coach Collins replaces Cody Mann, who announced his intention to retire from coaching in February.