Since Jack Murphy left the Memphis staff to become the head coach at Northern Arizona, Josh Pastner has been looking for a replacement. It now appears he has found one.
Aki Collins, an assistant under Buzz Williams at Marquette, has been recommended to join the Memphis staff, reports Jason Smith of the Commercial-Appeal.
Collins had been with the Golden Eagles for four seasons, part of a staff that saw four NCAA tournament berths for Marquette, including two Sweet Sixteens.
Prior to his time at Marquette, Collins served under now-Providence head coach Ed Cooley, while Cooley was at Fairfield.
Collins has also spent time at Marshall, Howard, and Colorado, along with playing collegiately at Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University.
Memphis finished last season with an overall record of 26-9, including 13-3 in the C-USA. The Tigers advanced to the Round of 32 of the NCAA tournament, before losing to St. Louis.
Memphis will be among a group of teams moving into the Big East in 2013-14. Others include Houston, Southern Methodist, UCF, and Temple. Temple is joining in football in 2012, but will become a full member in 2013.
Collins is a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., and was integral in the strong recruiting classes that Marquette has brought in in recent years.
Daniel Martin is a writer and editor at JohnnyJungle.com, covering St. John’s. You can find him on Twitter:@DanielJMartin_