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AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — Gateway High School has hired former University of Northern Colorado Head Coach Earnest Collins Jr. to lead its football team.

“Gateway High School would like to welcome Coach Earnest Collins and his wife, Mrs. Tabatha Collins, to the Olympian Family,” the school said in a statement. “We are excited to introduce Coach Collins as the next head football coach at Gateway High School.”

Collins coached Northern Colorado (UNC) from 2011-2019, leading the Bears to a 28-72 record. He led the team to their first two winning seasons as the program moved up to Division 1 (2015 and 2016). Collins coached six All-American selections, 64 All-Big Sky players, 106 All-Academic Big Sky honorees and had six of his players go on to play with NFL teams and two more with the CFL.

Since leaving UNC, Collins joined Florida Memorial University as the senior associate athletics director of compliance and operations.

Gateway is currently playing spring football. Collins will join the team for the 2021 fall season.