High School

Palm Bay (Florida) names Wardell Collins head boys basketball coach

Collins spent the previous two seasons as the head coach at Cocoa Beach High School. Collins coached from 2018 to 2021 at West Shore High School in Melbourne

Ross Van De Griek

Zeke Aime of Palm Bay shoots over Rockledge defender Kiori Jordan-Thomas in the championship game of the Cape Coast Conference basketball tournament Monday, January 22, 2024. Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK
Zeke Aime of Palm Bay shoots over Rockledge defender Kiori Jordan-Thomas in the championship game of the Cape Coast Conference basketball tournament Monday, January 22, 2024. Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK / Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY / USA TODAY NETWORK

According to Brevard Sports Network's Alan Zlotorzynski, Palm Bay (Florida) has found it's new head boys basketball coach on Thursday.

The Pirates named Wardell Collins as the program's new head boys basketball coach where he will replace Deuel Fider who left to become the head boys basketball coach at Space Coast High School.

Collins coached the past three seasons at Cocoa Beach High School where he went 34-49 (.409) winning percentage during his tenure with the Minutemen from 2022 to 2025. Before his time at Cocoa Beach, Collins coached just three seasons at West Shore High School where he went 33-41 (.445) winning percentage during his time with the Wildcats, including winning 15 games during the 2020-2021 season which was their most wins in a single season since 2017.

“Palm Bay has always been one of the prime basketball programs in the county, and I am honored to be chosen by Athletic Director Brian Crowley and Principal Jud Kaminski to lead this program,” Collins told Brevard Sports Network.

The Pirates had three consecutive winning seasons and four in the last five years until this season where they finished just 10-14 (.416) winning percentage and had their season come to an end in the District Semifinals against Atlantic (Port Orange) back on February 5.

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Ross Van De Griek
ROSS VAN DE GRIEK

Ross Van De Griek has been a high school sports writer covering the state of Florida since 2021. Ross also has been scouting high school basketball and Grassroots Basketball across the Southeast Region since 2022. Ross has been covering basketball and recruiting for High School on SI since August 2024. He has collaborated with Next Up Sports, Prep Hoops, and On The Radar Hoops throughout his scouting career. You can follow him on X @rossvdg14 or reach him via email rossvdg14@gmail.com for story ideas.

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