Patrick Collins is in his 24th year as an assistant coach for the Columbus State University baseball program since re-joining the CSU coaching staff in 2003. Collins is the hitting instructor for the Cougar baseball program, works defensively with infielders and serves as the recruiting coordinator.
Since re-joining the Columbus State staff, Collins has helped continue the winning tradition of CSU. During his time as an assistant, the Cougars have advanced to 12 NCAA Tournaments including three Division II College World Series appearances with two national runner-up finishes. Columbus State also won the 2006, 2010, 2016 and 2021 Peach Belt Conference Tournaments and the 2008, 2011, 2016 and 2022 PBC regular season titles.
In 2016, Collins helped coach arguably the top offense in the country as the Cougars led the nation in runs and hits, and ranked in the top 10 nationally in runs per game, home runs and slugging percentage. Collins' work on the infield also helped the Cougars lead the country in double plays per game, a feat they repeated in 2017 and 2018.
Collins played for and coached with current CSU head coach Greg Appleton at Young Harris College, where he was an All-Conference second baseman, team captain and team MVP in 1995. After a back injury ended his playing career, he became an assistant coach and later served as the interim head coach at YHC after Appleton accepted the CSU position in 1998.
Collins later followed Appleton to Columbus as he served as a student assistant coach for the Cougars in the 1999 season while obtaining his degree.
After earning his degree from CSU, Collins served as recruiting coordinator and worked with hitters and infielders at Division I Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina. He helped lead the team to an appearance in the 2000 NCAA Division II Baseball Championship and then through two years of transition to Division I status. During the transition years, GWU advanced to the National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association (NCCAA) World Series.
Collins is in his 30th year of coaching overall and holds a bachelor’s degree in history from CSU and a master's degree in school administration from Gardner-Webb. He is married to the former Amanda Rains of Snellville, and has two daughters, Carson and Rabun, and one son, Logan.
