Neill Collins Leaves Tampa Bay
After three full seasons in charge and parts of two in 2018 and 2023. Neill Collins will be heading back to more familiar surroundings in the west of England for Barnsley FC, roughly thirty minutes from Sheffield where he made the majority of the appearances in his playing career. Collins leaves the Rowdies a much more successful team than he joined, having taken them to the precipice of USL Championship glory on multiple occasions.
In 2016, while still with Sheffield United, Collins had his contract canceled so he could move to America to join the Rowdies, then of the North American Soccer League. His time in the NASL would be short, however, as the Rowdies would join the United Soccer League ahead of the 2017 season, another second tier competition. He was praised by then manager Stuart Campbell as, ”a big signing for us. He brings a lot of experience to the dressing room and he’s at a great age for a defender.” Tampa Bay would finish inside the playoff places in 2017, losing in the Eastern Conference semifinals to the New York Red Bulls II.
Collins began the 2018 season a player, but would finish it a gaffer, taking over the manager’s role in mid-May & eventually duties as the Technical Director.
While they did not qualify for the playoffs, the Rowdies would take some major steps over the offseason toward success. From one year to the next, fourteen new players were brought in to overhaul the roster. Club legends like Georgi Hristov and Joe Cole moved into retirement, while future MLS Cup-winner John McCarthy signed for the team.
The Rowdies would immediately turn things around, winning over half of their regular season games in 2019 to qualify for the playoffs again and make the conference quarterfinals. This game was unfortunately lost to a team that would become a perennial villain in the Neill Collins era: Louisville City. The rival club made it all the way to the final before losing to Real Monarchs, now of MLS Next. It was also this year that future stars Yann Ekra, Zach Steinberger, and Lucky Mkosana were introduced to the fans.
The following season, Tampa Bay would continue to revamp the team and lift their standards, with major signings like Forrest Lasso, Lewis Hilton, and Aaron Guillen all joining the club. Over the course of what turned into the most disrupted season in the history of the league, the Rowdies fought through Covid-19 to finish first in their Group H, run roughshod through the playoffs to get some revenge on Louisville City, and qualify for the first time for the USL Championship final. However, they could not overcome Covid fully, with the championship game, set to be played in St. Petersburg, Florida, canceled and the league declaring only an Eastern and Western Conference champion.
Disappointment was turned into elation in 2021 when the Rowdies decided they would take their frustration out on anyone and everyone they faced. Tampa Bay demolished the competition, setting a record for a 32-game season by earning 71 points. Two losses in their last 19 games showed what the team could do, with a nine-game winning streak the highlight of the regular season. Sebastian Guenzatti was the team’s leading goalscorer for the third year in a row, good for second in the USL.
The Rowdies went into the playoffs guaranteed to host every game after their stellar league form all season. The first game they smashed the opposition, beating FC Tulsa 6-2. In their second, a slightly subdued 1-0 win over Birmingham Legion would suffice. The Eastern Conference final brought our newest rival back to the fore, as Louisville City made the trip down south looking for revenge of their own. They would not get it, however, despite taking a 2-0 lead into the final ten minutes. In what is surely among the most memorable moments of the Collins era, former LouCity striker Lucky Mkosana scored twice, first in the 83rd minute and again in the sixth minute of stoppage time to send the game to extra time – and send the crowd into delirium. In the first half of the extra time period, offseason signing Steevan Dos Santos would find the net again to put the Rowdies into the coveted USL Championship final.
It was here, though, that the Rowdies would finally be stopped on what seemed like the road to a surefire trophy. Despite the winning streaks, the drubbings, and the most dramatic of all comebacks, this hurdle was too large and the Green and Gold stumbled against unfancied Orange County. OC had struggled for much of the season, replacing their own head coach along the way. However, it was clear they caught fire at the right time, getting an early jump on Tampa Bay and going into halftime 3-0 up. One goal pulled back was not enough to change the tide, and Florida’s west coast soccer fans were left wanting in a season when the region became Champa Bay.
Over the offseason, the club said goodbye to players who had become heroes the year before when Forrest Lasso left for Sweden and Evan Louro, who had injured himself before the Championship final, went for rehab with an MLS team. However, the roster was still in good hands: Guenzatti became the all team leading scorer for the club, setting the record after a tough personal start to the season, while Leo Fernandes would step up his game and go on to become the league MVP. Collins led the Rowdies through a tough opening period into a very strong middle and end to the season. This included a thirteen-game unbeaten run and four straight wins to conclude the campaign.
Getting through the playoffs was tougher, as Tampa Bay had not guaranteed themselves home games throughout like in 2021. A dramatic away win to Memphis, which included a late penalty saved by midseason loanee Phil Breno right before a penalty converted by Fernandes, was followed by a heartbreaking loss to that perpetual nemesis, Louisville City. The season ended in extra time, the 108th minute, before LouCity would go on to lose to San Antonio.
Collins leaves the Rowdies in the middle of the 2023 season, one which started very poorly, but was finally looking up. Tampa Bay started this year with just one win in their first six games. Much was done again in the offseason to put the roster in good stead after a true legend of the club, Sebastian Guenzatti, was moved on and Leo Fernandes tore his achilles tendon. Forrest Lasso was brought back and several splashy signings were made. It did take some time to gel, though. The rough start was met with a lot of questions from fans. Since an Open Cup loss to MLS side Houston Dynamo in late April, however, the Rowdies have turned things around.
Neill Collins will be remembered by Rowdies fans not just as a very good coach who brought winning ways to Tampa Bay. During his tenure, he was fiery and passionate. While some who’ve played the Beautiful Game in its birthplace come to America with plans for an easy retirement, the Scot never rested on his laurels and never took any shortcuts chasing the title. He could often be heard yelling over the roar of the crowd and spoke frequently of challenging his players to look in the mirror when they weren’t living up to the lofty standards they set. That Open Cup loss, in which the Rowdies were the better team, was described by Collins as the first game this season they’ve looked like the team he wants them to be – despite the result.
Collins instilled in his players a desire to win, to play nice football, and to never stop learning. He himself did so while taking multiple coaching license courses in his native Britain with the support of the club. From the academy graduates, to the veterans, to the six players who made their hundredth USL league appearance under his watch, Neill Collins left an indelible mark on soccer in Florida. Barnsley FC will be his new challenge as they look to win promotion to the second division in England.
