SAN JOSE — After the biggest victory of his decades-long career, Lincoln-San Jose football coach Kevin Collins was the most popular person on the field.
Everybody on Friday night wanted to talk to the man who has coached generations of athletes at the Rose Garden school. Everybody wanted to be in the presence of the coach who has finally gotten his moment in the postseason spotlight after years of being held back from the playoffs because of a Thanksgiving Day game.
The normally dry Collins soaked in the moment, a celebration ignited by a stunning rally that lifted Lincoln to a NorCal championship on its home field and a spot in a state title game Friday night in Fullerton.
“We have nationals in Indianapolis after state, and then we got internationals,” Collins said, tongue in cheek. “It’s in Brazil. So get your passports and get your oxygen mask, because we got the universes after that.”
You’ll have to forgive him. Collins, 61, is new to the CIF state playoffs.
And after 33 years at Lincoln, he’s earned the right to be a little silly.
And serious.
“I’m not looking for validation, but it validates what we do and what we’ve done,” Collins said. “So that’s what is cool for me.”
For most of his tenure, Collins didn’t have the chance to reach a state championship game. Lincoln was annually obligated to play in the Big Bone game, a traditional rivalry matchup on Thanksgiving Day against San Jose High.
In 2021, the Big Bone game was moved to early in the season, opening the door for Lincoln to make the Central Coast Section playoffs, which the Lions did in 2021 and 2022.
They returned this season as the No. 3 seed in the Division IV bracket.
After three straight wins and the first CCS championship in school history, Lincoln lined up for its first NorCal regional game Friday against Gridley.
The sidelines were a who’s who of South Bay coaches. Los Gatos’ Mark Krail, Pioneer’s Eric Perry and Live Oak’s Mike Gemo – all longtime friends with Collins – made appearances. Former Branham coach Stephen Johnson attended as well.
“Kevin and I go back to the mid-90s when I was the athletic director here at Lincoln,” Krail said. “That’s how I got to know Kevin. He and I are very good friends. We talk every week about football, and I don’t get to see him because obviously we’re busy most Friday nights.
“I’m just super happy. They always had the Big Bone game and never got to taste the playoffs for all those years, and so this is great. It’s uncharted waters for Lincoln and Kevin and the whole community. It’s awesome.”
Krail was also a multi-year assistant coach on some of Collins’ earliest coaching staffs. He joked that he holds the distinction of being the last Lincoln defensive coordinator to lose the Big Bone game.
As Lincoln fell behind 20-14 at the half on Friday, the trio of coaches tensed up. Krail shifted back into coach mode, encouraging the Lions as they came off the field for the halftime break.
Gemo and Perry were more stoic but just as steadfast in their support.
“We’ve known Kevin forever,” Perry said. “We’ve been good friends for 30 years. And Craig Hillesland, the defensive coordinator, and I are always on the phone talking defense and scheme. Same deal being head coaches with Kevin. Kevin and I were in the same league for a very long time. So obviously super happy for Lincoln to get here and super happy for those two. So of course, I’m out here supporting these guys.”
As Lincoln pulled off a miraculous fourth-quarter comeback with back-to-back touchdowns in the span of 16 seconds, the mood on the sideline shifted in a blink. What had been a somber scene morphed into a joyful den of Lions.
When the clock reached zero on Lincoln’s 28-20 victory, pandemonium ensued on the home sideline. No one wanted to leave, either.
Krail, Perry and Gemo stuck it out to congratulate Collins, and they had plenty of company. Seemingly the whole Rose Garden neighborhood came out, and they were joined by former players from Lincoln teams dating back to Collins’ first years as head coach.
As Collins soaked up the scene, accepting hug after gracious hug, he reflected on what the moment signified for him.
“I got way more years in my rearview than I do in front of me,” Collins said. “And to have this – I don’t know when I’m going to be done – but to have something like this happen at this time in my career, obviously, I’ll never forget it.”
The sheer number of people who congratulated Collins was a sight to behold.
There were his former high school teammates. His former college teammates at Santa Clara.
Even some old buddies from elementary school.
His former college coach, Terry Malley. And enough parents of past and present players to flood the overflow area outside the bleachers.
Texts from St. Francis coach Greg Calcagno, San Jose coach Raul Sandoval, Willow Glen coach Oscar Caballero, Milpitas assistant coach Vito Cangemi – too many to count – flooded his phone.
His current players too.
“He’s the best coach I’ve ever seen or ever had,” star two-way player Kyan Phillips said. “He means a lot to me, and it means a lot that he’s able to experience this before he goes out and retires.”
Lincoln wide receiver Michael Whitelaw, who scored the game-winning touchdown against Gridley, joked that Collins has been coaching for over 60 years.
Not quite. But the coach got at least six decades worth of love back on Friday night.
“It means a lot to him. It means a lot,” Whitelaw said. “It took him a long time. I’m glad that’s my coach right now, man. We wouldn’t be here without him.”
Lincoln will now travel to Southern California to face Valley Center for the 6-AA state championship at 4 p.m. Friday at Fullerton High School, an opportunity to create another memory for Collins in the twilight of his storied career.
Amid the celebration Friday, Collins, who is also Lincoln’s athletic director, was already looking ahead to the logistics required to take a football team to Orange County.
“I don’t know who we’re playing,” Collins said last Friday. “Right now, I don’t care. Now I got to figure out all the travel arrangements and do all the AD stuff. I liked it better at about 6:30 tonight when all I had to worry about was coaching. Now I have to go home and – do we have a hotel? How are we gonna eat? All that other crap. But it’s worth it.
“Great problem to have. I wouldn’t want any other problem.”
