COAL TOWNSHIP - Friends and family gathered Tuesday at Our Lady of Hope Church to remember Kevin Collins, the Southern Columbia Area girls basketball coach who died unexpectedly Tuesday, July 23, just five days before his 46th birthday.
The public viewing started at 7 a.m. and a Mass of Christian Burial just after 10 a.m. in a packed church. Those in attendance included former and current players who wore their jerseys, members of rival teams and referees.
True to Collins' love of the sport, his ashes were placed in a basketball. Photos of his other passions - his family and Notre Dame football - were on display in the front of the church.
Of the many themes expressed in the Rev. Adrian Gallagher's homily were Collins' big heart, his will to fight and the eerie foreshadowing of his own demise in comments he made about "legacy" to a friend that very day.
Gallagher, who was good friends with Collins, drew laughter from some of his comments.
Collins' time coaching at various stops on both the youth and high school level left the most lasting legacy, Gallagher said.
"Coaching was rewarding," he said, "central to the rhythm of his life."
In his only year as head coach of the Tigers, Collins guided the squad to a 19-7 record and a second place
finish in the District 4 Class AA playoffs.
It was in his role as coach that Collins "captured the hearts of so many young people," Gallagher said.
"Kids will forever be better people because they ran across a really good man."
Collins also coached the Southern Columbia boys basketball junior varsity team in 2011, was an assistant for the Susquenita boys basketball team in 2010 and for a number of years was the head volleyball coach and an assistant on the girls basketball team at Our Lady of Lourdes Regional.
He also coached CYO basketball and Little League baseball teams.
Following the service, a bagpiper led a procession along Chestnut Street that included Collins' son, Jordan, who carried the basketball with his father's remains.
Collins leaves behind a wife, Lori, and five children.