Coach Ron Collins
Ron was raised in Cashmere, Washington and throughout the course of his life spoke proudly of the beloved community that shaped him into the man he became. His parents, along with many of their friends and family members, were educators in the Cashmere School District and his father Jack was a longtime, hall of fame, coach. Ron's family instilled in him the values that would persist for a lifetime and inform who he was as a son, brother, husband, father, athlete, and coach.
In his time as a Cashmere Bulldog, Ron participated in football, wrestling, and track. He was fortunate to have been coached by exceptional leaders in both his dad as well as dear family friend Bill Elliott. He was a multi-year state champion and earned a total of 10 letters.
After high school, Ron was recruited to play football at Washington State University where he would go on to letter for four years at strong safety and serve as defensive team captain in his senior year. He was a remarkable football player and is often remembered for huge moments such as having three interceptions in one game against Stanford in 1984 and making the game winning play in the 1985 Apple Cup. In his senior year, he was honored with the Laurie Niemi Award, recognizing him for his courage and attitude. His former teammates and friends remember him for his leadership and unparalleled strength. Ron graduated from Washington State University in 1987, earning a bachelor's degree in Physical Education and a minor in English.
Ron began his coaching career in the spring of 1987 as a volunteer assistant at WSU. He then spent the 1987 season as a graduate assistant at Iowa State, working alongside his former college coach and mentor Jimmy Burrow. Following his time in Ames, Ron joined the staff at Washington University in St. Louis in 1988 where he spent the next 13 years of his career. During his time at WashU, Ron served as the defensive coordinator (12 years) and strength and conditioning coach (13 years). He was also a secondary coach in his first year and at various times served as linebackers coach, special teams coordinator, track and field coach, and was a tennis instructor. Ron helped coach one of the most successful programs in WashU history during the 1990s and had the top ranked defense in the country during the 1999 season. While in St. Louis, Ron also earned a master's degree in Education Administration from the University of Missouri in St. Louis in 1991.
Not only was Ron's time in St. Louis an impactful time in his career, but it was also at WashU that he met the love of his life, Sharon Arthalony. They were married in June of 1995 in Sharon's hometown of Jacksonville, Illinois. The couple welcomed their first daughter Taylor Rae in April of 1998 and their second daughter Alexandra Lyn in February of 2001.
The Collins family moved to Boise, Idaho in 2001 where Ron spent the next five seasons as a linebackers coach and defensive coordinator. In his time, he helped build Boise State into a Top 25 program where they had one of the best runs in school history. He then went on to coach at the University of Colorado from 2006-2010. For multiple years, the Buffaloes defense was nationally ranked and Ron earned National Coordinator of the Week after defeating the third-ranked team in the country. In his last stop as a full-time coach, Ron went to Ohio University where he worked from 2011-2021. He served as the linebackers coach, safeties coach, and defensive coordinator at various points during his time in Athens. Over the course of a decade, Ron helped lead the Bobcats to several bowl games, including five bowl wins and the first in program history. While at Ohio, the Bobcats defense was ranked at various times both nationally and within the conference. In 34 years, Ron had numerous players recognized within their conference as both exceptional athletes and students. Many players went on to be successful in their careers as professional players and coaches.
Ron retired from coaching at the end of the 2021 season and returned to Boise where he worked for the Broncos as a senior defensive analyst. A role he described fondly as "drinking coffee and watching film". However, over the course of his entire career and in his final years at Boise State, Ron's impact went far beyond the X's and O's. He was an exceptional individual who never forgot a name and put in the time to check in, mentor, and extend friendship to all those he had the privilege of working with and knowing. At the end of his life, Ron had countless players, coaches, and friends express their gratitude for his impact in their lives. Many of whom credited him with shaping them as individuals, husbands, fathers, and professionals.
There was no role more cherished to Ron than that as a husband and father. In a profession that demands excellence and a great deal of time, he remained most dedicated to his wife and two girls. He was their hero and will remain in their hearts and the forefront of their minds forever.