Southwestern Oklahoma State Athletics

Josh Collins is in his 13th season as the head coach of the SWOSU volleyball team, while also serving as an Assistant Athletic Director for Gameday Operations.

Collins – who became SWOSU Volleyball’s winningest coach during the 2016 season – enters the 2024 fall campaign with a career record of 183-163 after leading the Bulldogs to a winning record in each of the past six seasons. Most recently, the Dawgs went 19-9 (12-4 GAC) in the 2023 season and finished third place in the Great American Conference.

In his 12 seasons leading the Bulldog Volleyball program, Collins has guided the program to new heights, including three 20-win seasons, seven winning records and one GAC Tournament Championship. He recorded his 100th career victory on November 18, 2018 in a 3-0 win at Southeastern Oklahoma State. Each of the last two 20-win seasons for SWOSU has earned Collins the Great American Conference Coach of the Year honor. (2021, 2018) His first 20-win season came during the 2015 season which was capped off with SWOSU defeating Northwestern Oklahoma State, Southern Nazarene and Southern Arkansas to claim the program’s first-ever GAC Tournament Championship. The win also earned the Bulldogs their first-ever trip to the NCAA Division II Tournament, where they met the top-ranked team in the country, Concordia-St. Paul.

Since becoming the head coach at SWOSU, Collins has been an active member on NCAA committees. He has been as a member of the Regional Advisory Committee for the Central Region since 2014, including serving as the Regional Chair and NCAA Division II Women’s Volleyball National Committee since 2016.
 
Collins has tutored 23 different players (35 total recipients) who have earned All-Great American Conference honors, including six First Team selections and two who earned All-Central Region status. (Carly Zak // 2015, Second Team; 2016, First Team & Kaitlyn Dillon // 2018, Second Team). Additionally, Collins has coached nine players named to the All-GAC Tournament Team, 14 who earned GAC Academic Scholar Honors and 63 selections to the GAC All-Academic Team. His teams have also earned the AVCA Team Academic Award on seven occasions (2012, 2014-17, 2019, 2023) and have won the GAC Sportsmanship Award five times (2014, 2021-S, 2021, 2022, 2023).

In addition to improved play on the court, fan support has continued to increase for the Bulldog Volleyball program since moving into the Pioneer Cellular Event Center prior to the 2014 season. SWOSU’s attendance has ranked in the top three in Great American Conference in attendance in each of the past seven seasons, leading the league in 2015, 2018, 2021, 2022, and 2023. This last season saw SWOSU finish 6-2 at home and average 844 fans in attendance per match -- ranking them ninth in all of NCAA Division II. 

After arriving in Weatherford in 2004 from Clarendon College, Collins served as an assistant men’s basketball coach under Scott Reed in 2004-05 and later with former SWOSU athletic director and basketball coach Todd Thurman during the 2006-07 season. Starting in 2005, Collins worked as a dual assistant for SWOSU, assisting with basketball while also helping Bo Pagliasotti start the volleyball program. He served as an assistant volleyball coach for seven seasons before taking over prior to the 2012 season.
 
Collins, a native of Hedley, Texas, holds two degrees from Southwestern Oklahoma State University. He earned his bachelor’s degree in 2006 before completing his master’s degree in Sports Management in 2008. He and his wife, Jamie, were married in June 2012 and reside in Weatherford with their daughter, Indie, and sons, Iver and Iken.


Coach Collins Year-by-Year
 

Season	W	L	%	W	L	%	Finish
2012	13	20	0.393	10	4	0.714	4th/GAC
2013	13	21	0.382	8	6	0.571	T-4th/GAC
2014	8	19	0.292	5	9	0.357	T-8th/GAC
2015	22	12	0.647	10	6	0.625	4th/GAC
2016	14	17	0.452	9	7	0.563	6th/GAC
2017	13	20	0.394	8	8	0.500	T-7th/GAC
2018	21	7	0.750	13	3	0.812	T-2nd/GAC
2019	16	12	0.571	12	4	0.750	T-2nd/GAC
2021 (S)	7	6	0.538	6	4	0.600	2nd/GAC Western
2021	20	8	0.714	13	3	0.813	T-2nd/GAC
2022	17	12	0.586	12	4	0.750	3rd/GAC
2023	19	9	0.679	12	4	0.750	3rd/GAC
Totals	183	163	0.529	118	62	0.656

THE COLLINS FILE
 
Coaching Career
2012 – Present: Southwestern Oklahoma State (Head Volleyball Coach)
   Record: 183-163 (.529)
 
2005 – 11: SWOSU (Assistant Volleyball Coach)
2004 – 07: SWOSU (Assistant Basketball Coach)

Coaching Awards
2021: Great American Conference Coach of the Year
2018: Great American Conference Coach of the Year
2018: OklahomaSports.Net Small College Coach of the Year
 
Education
Southwestern Oklahoma State University
   Bachelors of Parks & Recreation, 2006
   Masters of Sports Management, 2008