Doug Collins had plenty to be proud of this year. His son had taken a moribund program in Northwestern and turned them into a college basketball darling, helping them to qualify for the Ncaa Tournament for the first time in school history. That sense of joy taken in his son, Chris, was never clearer than at the end of the Wildcats' game against Vanderbilt in the first round of the tournament on Thursday.
Emotional moment
With 1.1 seconds remaining, a one point lead and possession of the ball, it appeared to be a certainty that Northwestern was going to get the victory over Vanderbilt.
The TBS camera made its way around the arena, showing jubilant Wildcats fans sensing the moment. Then, it zoomed in on Doug Collins, who wasn't cheering like the rest of the people around him; he was nearly sobbing, instead.
Twitter immediately reacted with heartfelt sentiments and jokes alike, drawing quick comparisons to the famous "Crying Jordan" meme of Michael Jordan lore. Northwestern is used to having famous fans show some pride at their games, from ESPN radio host Mike Greenberg, an alum of the school, to "Veep" actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, whose son is a walk-on for the team. Nobody could have matched the emotion of Collins in that moment, though.
Moving on
Doug Collins was born in Christopher, Illinois, so he has a unique connection to the Evanston school, which has only grown stronger with his son Chris at the helm.
He was a successful basketball coach and player in his own right, but he clearly takes the most pride out of the successes of his son at Northwestern.
Thankfully, he'll continue to get to show his emotion going forward. The bizarre win on Thursday sets up a showdown with Gonzaga on Saturday; many feel Gonzaga is one of the favorites to win the entire NCAA Tournament.
The Collins family would like to fight off a feeling of complacency, however, and will Northwestern to a big upset this weekend, further validating the team's first appearance in the legendary postseason tournament.
