In his first move as Northwestern’s men’s basketball coach, Chris Collins retained Tavaras Hardy on the coaching staff.

Hardy was a part of Bill Carmody’s staff for the past seven seasons, including the past two years as associate head coach. The former Wildcats player was instrumental in recruiting the Chicago area under Carmody, bringing players such as senior Drew Crawford and former stars Michael “Juice” Thompson and John Shurna to Evanston.

“I’m thrilled to have Tavaras as a member of our coaching staff,” Collins said in a news release. “His first-hand experience as a student-athlete at Northwestern is a tremendous asset to the program in that he understands what a special place this is and what it takes to be successful here. He is an outstanding talent in our profession and has a great understanding of the game. Tavaras has an excellent ability to communicate with young players which makes him a terrific recruiter and mentor.”

Hardy becomes the first member of Collins’ staff, signaling the likely departure of Carmody’s other two assistants, Fred Hill and Ivan Vujic. Rumors have swirled that Collins may look at some former Duke players to join his staff such as Ohio State’s video coordinator Greg Paulus.

— Josh Walfish