Augustana College head men’s basketball coach Tom Billeter announced on Tuesday the hiring of Collin Authier as an assistant coach. Authier replaces Jeff Trumbauer who was recently named the head coach at Black Hills State University.

"We are extremely happy to have Collin back with our program," Billeter said. "His experience at Texas A&M Corpus Christi will lend well to new concepts and ideas at Augustana. He is a tireless worker with great ties to our region."

Authier recently completed his third season as the assistant to the head coach at NCAA Division I Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi. Authier was responsible for the majority of the administrative tasks surrounding the program, including team travel. He was also in charge of the teams’ camps and community service projects.

Under his leadership, the Islanders have been a strong presence in the Corpus Christi community. The team made appearances at numerous events and was also involved with the Ronald McDonald House, Boy Scouts and the Miracle League.

"I can’t explain how excited I am to be coming back to Augustana College," Authier said. "I believe coach Billeter is one of the best in the country and this is an amazing opportunity to come back and work for him. I would like to thank coach Billeter and Slade Larscheid for their belief in me to continue the tradition of excellence throughout the Viking basketball program. The people at Augustana and in the community of Sioux Falls have always been amazing to me and I’m looking forward to reconnecting with old faces while building new relationships."

During his time at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, the Islanders finished 14-4 in the Southland Conference, which was good for second place in the 14-team league. The squad posted 12 more victories than it had the previous year, the third-largest turnaround in the nation.

Authier is no stranger to Augustana having spent three seasons here, including two as a graduate assistant under Billeter. During his three seasons at Augustana, the Vikings posted a record of 63-26, including the 2009-10 season when Augustana won a school record 24 games. He was on staff for two straight NCAA Tournament berths, including two Sweet 16 appearances.

Before coming to Augustana, Authier attended the University of Wisconsin-Superior from 2006-2008, where he also worked as a student assistant for the men’s basketball program. Authier assisted in all aspects of the basketball program, which included practice, player development, scouting, game preparation, film exchange and recruiting.

Authier worked with a staff at UWS that was able to produce the top-recruiting class in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference after his first year as an assistant. With his help, the team produced a seven-win improvement in two years, which included a run to the semi-finals of the WIAC tournament. Authier has also helped coach the D3 News Top 10 freshman in the nation and two All-WIAC players.

Authier earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Augustana in 2009 and his master’s degree in education in 2011.

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