Philadelphia 76ers Exercise Option on Coach Doug Collins Through 2013-14 Season

The Philadelphia 76ers have the young talent necessary to build a competitive franchise for years to come, and Monday's news made it apparent who they want leading that charge through the 2013-14 season.

According to the 76ers director of public relations, Michael Preston, Philadelphia picked up the option on head coach Doug Collins' contract:

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#Sixers Owner Josh Harris announces team has picked up option on Coach Collins' contract for '13-14 season.

— Michael Preston (@preston76) October 1, 2012"

Continuity, at this point, is a good thing for the young 76ers franchise. Collins has molded many of the team's current players in the past two seasons, with the on-court product slightly improving in the process.

Now, with center Andrew Bynum playing down low, Evan Turner taking the next step as a scoring 2-guard and Jrue Holiday growing into the point guard position, Philadelphia could be ready to make a big run in the NBA's Eastern Conference.

Since arriving in Philadelphia in 2010, Collins is 76-72. The Sixers earned the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs last year because of their stingy defense, which is a direct result of Collins' no-nonsense approach to the game.

In his 10-year coaching career, Collins is 408-359. He's coached four different franchises, using his blue-collar mentality wherever he goes. For an inexperienced Sixers squad, it couldn't be a better match.

What the future holds for Collins beyond this extension is hard to say. He's 61 years old, and Philadelphia will need results to justify keeping him around even longer.

One thing is for sure. He's there for the short term, at least, and Philadelphia's front office has given him more than enough skill to win games this season.