Temple University Athletics
Football
Collins, Geoff
Geoff Collins
- Title:
- Head Football Coach
- Email:
- tufb@temple.edu
- Phone:
- 215-204-0868
Geoff Collins accepted the head coaching position at Temple University on December 14, 2016, becoming the 27th head football coach in Owls’ history. Armed with 23 years of coaching experience, Collins has proven to be a driven leader who is not bashful about the word love. He has demonstrated a love for his players and they have reciprocated that passion in their actions and words.
“I could not speak more highly of Coach Collins,” said Houston Texans’ LB Benardrick McKinney who played for Collins at Mississippi State. “He has done so much for shaping the player I am today. He coached aggressively with a tremendous amount of energy and fun. He loved his players. Coach Collins would do anything for us, on and off the field. Not only did he train us to be the best defensive players we could be on the field, but also the best men we would be off the field.”
Collins’ creative spirit has paid dividends on and off the field. Whether devising original game-plans, creating new methods to teach, or splashy ways to pursue recruits, Collins’ ideas are mimicked throughout college football.
While Collins has gained notoriety for being innovative and energetic, his accomplishments in his first year as head coach can not be overlooked. Despite a roster that needed to start 42 different players due to injuries and youth, he led the Owls to bowl eligibility for the fourth consecutive season and seventh time in nine years.
Collins navigated through a midseason quarterback change that was brought on by injury but was kept based on performance. The old football adage is that you do not lose your job to injury, but when Logan Marchi went down with a foot injury and was replaced by "Frankie Juice" Nutile, the latter provided a spark to the offense. Collins saw fit to keep Nutile under center and the redshirt junior led the Owls to four wins in their last five games and the third bowl win in school history.
The defense took on Collins' identity and ranked among the conference leaders in yards per game (391.8 - 2nd), passing yards per game (210.0 - 1st), third down percentage (39.3 - 2nd), sacks (32 - 2nd), and tackles for loss (92 - 2nd).
For his performance, Collins was named ECAC Coach of the Year.
Prior to coming to Temple he had been widely recognized as the top defensive coordinator in college football and is the only coach to be a Broyles Award nominee, given to the nation’s best assistant coach, at three schools [FIU (2010), MSU (2014) and Florida (2015)].
“The excitement over Temple football has been growing for years, and Geoff is going to ensure that Temple’s reputation for quality on the field and in the classroom is going to continue,” said President Richard M. Englert. “Our student-athletes are great representatives of this university and make me proud every time I see them play.”
“Geoff Collins is an extraordinary leader, and it’s clear he is the right person to take an already successful program and advance it to the next level,” added the University’s Board of Trustees Chairman Patrick J. O’Connor. “We are thrilled to have him join the Temple University community.”
Collins is an alumnus of Western Carolina University, where he played defensive back and linebacker. Collins has coached all over, beginning at his alma mater, and most recently working in the SEC at both Florida, where he helped the Gators to back-to-back SEC East Division Titles, and Mississippi State in the role of defensive coordinator. Over the course of his career, Collins has helped guide 31 of his student-athletes to careers in the National Football League.
“As soon as I met with Geoff I knew right away that this was the right coach at the right time for Temple University,” said Director of Athletics Dr. Patrick M. Kraft. “Well beyond Geoff’s acumen as a coach of hard, physical football, he shares our values of embracing the student-athlete and demanding excellence in all that we do.”
Collins first began at Florida in 2015, hired by Jim McElwain to be on his initial staff. Collins’ opportunity to serve as defensive coordinator at Florida was his second defensive coordinator job in the SEC, as he held the same title at Mississippi State for two seasons.
The Florida defense was relentless under the guidance of Collins, finishing the season ranked eighth nationally in 2015. His Gators’ defense was also ranked third in the SEC during that time, only allowing 310.2 yards per game. Collins’ defense also set a number of other records during his time in Gainesville, including being one of only seven FBS teams in the last 20 years to not allow a touchdown against three FBS Power 5 schools on the road, in a single season.
In the 2015 season alone, Collins helped prepare three players who eventually earned first-team All-SEC honors, including CB Jalen “Teez” Tabor, DL Jon Bullard, and CB Vernon Hargreaves. Hargreaves was also a consensus first team All-American in 2015. In total, five of Collins’ defensive players were selected in the 2016 NFL Draft; two first round selections (CB Vernon Hargreaves and S Keanu Neal) along with DT Jonathan Bullard (3rd), LB Antonio Morrison (4th), and DE Alex McCalister (7th), along with Brian Poole who started for the Falcons in the Super Bowl after joining Atlanta as a rookie free agent.
The Florida team capitalized on the success of its defense in 2016, finishing 8-4 on the year and earning its second straight SEC East Division Title. The unit finished among the nation’s best in multiple categories - first in pass efficiency (92.87), second in pass defense (148.5), third in defensive scores (5), fourth in red zone defense (71.8), fifth in total defense (293.0), sixth in scoring defense (16.8 ppg), and seventh in first downs allowed (206). Collins also helped three of his players earn All-SEC selections in the 2016 season. Florida's defensive unit developed seven more draft picks in 2017, including four in the first two rounds.
Prior to his time at Florida, Collins was a member of the coaching staff at Mississippi State. Originally hired to serve as the linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator for the 2011 season, Collins was promoted to the position of defensive coordinator in 2013.
Mississippi State had tremendous success while he was on the coaching staff, most notably the 2014 season, when the Bulldogs when they were ranked #1 in the country for most of the season and finished with a 10-3 record. This 10-win season was the best finish at the school in 15 years, and concluded with a berth in the Orange Bowl. Collins’ defense was dominant that season, producing the most sacks in the SEC (37), as well as the #1 ranked red zone defense and ninth ranked scoring defense in the country.
The season prior, Mississippi State went 7-6 and defeated Rice in the Liberty Bowl, 44-7. Collins’ unit was one of the best in the SEC. In his first season as full-time defensive coordinator, his defense ranked among the SEC’s top five in a number of categories, including fourth in total defense (349.3 yards per game), fourth in rushing defense (144.2 yards per game) and fifth in passing defense (205.2 yards per game). He also held his last three opponents during the 2013 season to just 11.3 points per game.
In 2012, the Bulldogs finished the year 8-5 and made an appearance in the Gator Bowl. That year, Collins tutored DB Darius Slay, a second team All-SEC selection. Along with Slay, who was picked in the second round of the NFL Draft, Collins helped prepare a number of other Mississippi State players for careers in the NFL, including Jim Thorpe Award winner CB Jonathan Banks (2nd round), CB Will Redmond (3rd round), and DT Josh Boyd (5th round).
During his first season on the staff, Mississippi State finished the season 7-6 as the Bulldogs went to the Music City Bowl, defeating Wake Forest, 25-17. In Collins’ first season as a co-defensive coordinator for the Bulldogs, he helped mentor DT Fletcher Cox, a first team All-American and first team All-SEC selection in 2011. Cox was selected 12th overall in the first round of the NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, and earned All-Pro honors in 2014 and 2015.
Collins’ ability to mold a defense was evident well prior to his time in Mississippi State and Florida. Before coaching in the SEC, he sharpened his teeth as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Florida International University in 2010. During that season, his defense was ranked first in the Sun Belt Conference in total defense, scoring defense, pass defense efficiency, and turnover margin. This, off of the prior year when the team was ranked 119th in total defense nationally. This dramatic turnaround led Collins to be named a finalist for the Broyles Award in 2010, an award for the top assistant in college football.
Before joining the staff at FIU, Collins was a linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator under head coach George O’Leary at UCF for two seasons. In 2009, he was part of a staff the led the Knights to an 8-5 record and a berth in the St. Petersburg Bowl. Even though UCF did not make a bowl game in 2008, he had the defense ranked second in Conference USA in total and scoring defense.
Collins also spent some time working at both the University of Alabama and Georgia Tech. In 2007, he worked at Alabama as the director of player personnel under head coach Nick Saban and had the #1 recruiting class in the country. That class included Mark Ingram Jr., the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner and the first-ever by an Alabama player. He spent the 2006 season at Georgia Tech as director of player personnel. Georgia Tech secured their best recruiting class in team history that year as well.
Between the years of 2002 and 2005, Collins was the defensive coordinator at his alma mater Western Carolina. Collins’ defense was continually ranked near the top nationally at the FCS level while under his guidance. In 2005, the team was ranked first nationally in pass defense and 18th in total defense. The team also led the So-Con conference in rushing defense for the first time in program history in that season.
From 1999-2000, Collins served as a graduate assistant at Georgia Tech under O’Leary. During that time, the Yellow Jackets had a 25-12 record, including reaching three consecutive bowl games. In Collins’ last season at Georgia Tech he was promoted to tight ends coach under current Houston Texans’ head coach Bill O’Brien and the Yellow Jackets defeated the Stanford Cardinal in the 2001 Seattle Bowl, 25-12.
Collins got his chance at being a defensive coordinator at Albright College from 1997-1998. Before that, he was a linebackers coach for the Fordham Rams for the 1996 season. In 1995, he was an assistant coach for Franklin High School in North Carolina. He began his coaching career at his alma mater, Western Carolina University, contributing as a student assistant during the 1993 and 1994 seasons.
Collins played college football at WCU as an outside linebacker and defensive back from 1989-1992. He totaled 194 career tackles during his four year career with the Catamounts. As a junior, he was the team’s fifth-leading tackler (68), while registering 6.0 tackles-for-loss. As a senior, he helped Western Carolina to a 7-4 record, totaling 62 total tackles and 5.0 tackles-for-loss.
The Conyers, Ga., native was born April 10, 1971. He and his wife, Jennifer (formerly Haynes), have one daughter, Astrid (two).
“I could not speak more highly of Coach Collins,” said Houston Texans’ LB Benardrick McKinney who played for Collins at Mississippi State. “He has done so much for shaping the player I am today. He coached aggressively with a tremendous amount of energy and fun. He loved his players. Coach Collins would do anything for us, on and off the field. Not only did he train us to be the best defensive players we could be on the field, but also the best men we would be off the field.”
Collins’ creative spirit has paid dividends on and off the field. Whether devising original game-plans, creating new methods to teach, or splashy ways to pursue recruits, Collins’ ideas are mimicked throughout college football.
While Collins has gained notoriety for being innovative and energetic, his accomplishments in his first year as head coach can not be overlooked. Despite a roster that needed to start 42 different players due to injuries and youth, he led the Owls to bowl eligibility for the fourth consecutive season and seventh time in nine years.
Collins navigated through a midseason quarterback change that was brought on by injury but was kept based on performance. The old football adage is that you do not lose your job to injury, but when Logan Marchi went down with a foot injury and was replaced by "Frankie Juice" Nutile, the latter provided a spark to the offense. Collins saw fit to keep Nutile under center and the redshirt junior led the Owls to four wins in their last five games and the third bowl win in school history.
The defense took on Collins' identity and ranked among the conference leaders in yards per game (391.8 - 2nd), passing yards per game (210.0 - 1st), third down percentage (39.3 - 2nd), sacks (32 - 2nd), and tackles for loss (92 - 2nd).
For his performance, Collins was named ECAC Coach of the Year.
Prior to coming to Temple he had been widely recognized as the top defensive coordinator in college football and is the only coach to be a Broyles Award nominee, given to the nation’s best assistant coach, at three schools [FIU (2010), MSU (2014) and Florida (2015)].
“The excitement over Temple football has been growing for years, and Geoff is going to ensure that Temple’s reputation for quality on the field and in the classroom is going to continue,” said President Richard M. Englert. “Our student-athletes are great representatives of this university and make me proud every time I see them play.”
“Geoff Collins is an extraordinary leader, and it’s clear he is the right person to take an already successful program and advance it to the next level,” added the University’s Board of Trustees Chairman Patrick J. O’Connor. “We are thrilled to have him join the Temple University community.”
Collins is an alumnus of Western Carolina University, where he played defensive back and linebacker. Collins has coached all over, beginning at his alma mater, and most recently working in the SEC at both Florida, where he helped the Gators to back-to-back SEC East Division Titles, and Mississippi State in the role of defensive coordinator. Over the course of his career, Collins has helped guide 31 of his student-athletes to careers in the National Football League.
“As soon as I met with Geoff I knew right away that this was the right coach at the right time for Temple University,” said Director of Athletics Dr. Patrick M. Kraft. “Well beyond Geoff’s acumen as a coach of hard, physical football, he shares our values of embracing the student-athlete and demanding excellence in all that we do.”
Collins first began at Florida in 2015, hired by Jim McElwain to be on his initial staff. Collins’ opportunity to serve as defensive coordinator at Florida was his second defensive coordinator job in the SEC, as he held the same title at Mississippi State for two seasons.
The Florida defense was relentless under the guidance of Collins, finishing the season ranked eighth nationally in 2015. His Gators’ defense was also ranked third in the SEC during that time, only allowing 310.2 yards per game. Collins’ defense also set a number of other records during his time in Gainesville, including being one of only seven FBS teams in the last 20 years to not allow a touchdown against three FBS Power 5 schools on the road, in a single season.
In the 2015 season alone, Collins helped prepare three players who eventually earned first-team All-SEC honors, including CB Jalen “Teez” Tabor, DL Jon Bullard, and CB Vernon Hargreaves. Hargreaves was also a consensus first team All-American in 2015. In total, five of Collins’ defensive players were selected in the 2016 NFL Draft; two first round selections (CB Vernon Hargreaves and S Keanu Neal) along with DT Jonathan Bullard (3rd), LB Antonio Morrison (4th), and DE Alex McCalister (7th), along with Brian Poole who started for the Falcons in the Super Bowl after joining Atlanta as a rookie free agent.
The Florida team capitalized on the success of its defense in 2016, finishing 8-4 on the year and earning its second straight SEC East Division Title. The unit finished among the nation’s best in multiple categories - first in pass efficiency (92.87), second in pass defense (148.5), third in defensive scores (5), fourth in red zone defense (71.8), fifth in total defense (293.0), sixth in scoring defense (16.8 ppg), and seventh in first downs allowed (206). Collins also helped three of his players earn All-SEC selections in the 2016 season. Florida's defensive unit developed seven more draft picks in 2017, including four in the first two rounds.
Prior to his time at Florida, Collins was a member of the coaching staff at Mississippi State. Originally hired to serve as the linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator for the 2011 season, Collins was promoted to the position of defensive coordinator in 2013.
Mississippi State had tremendous success while he was on the coaching staff, most notably the 2014 season, when the Bulldogs when they were ranked #1 in the country for most of the season and finished with a 10-3 record. This 10-win season was the best finish at the school in 15 years, and concluded with a berth in the Orange Bowl. Collins’ defense was dominant that season, producing the most sacks in the SEC (37), as well as the #1 ranked red zone defense and ninth ranked scoring defense in the country.
The season prior, Mississippi State went 7-6 and defeated Rice in the Liberty Bowl, 44-7. Collins’ unit was one of the best in the SEC. In his first season as full-time defensive coordinator, his defense ranked among the SEC’s top five in a number of categories, including fourth in total defense (349.3 yards per game), fourth in rushing defense (144.2 yards per game) and fifth in passing defense (205.2 yards per game). He also held his last three opponents during the 2013 season to just 11.3 points per game.
In 2012, the Bulldogs finished the year 8-5 and made an appearance in the Gator Bowl. That year, Collins tutored DB Darius Slay, a second team All-SEC selection. Along with Slay, who was picked in the second round of the NFL Draft, Collins helped prepare a number of other Mississippi State players for careers in the NFL, including Jim Thorpe Award winner CB Jonathan Banks (2nd round), CB Will Redmond (3rd round), and DT Josh Boyd (5th round).
During his first season on the staff, Mississippi State finished the season 7-6 as the Bulldogs went to the Music City Bowl, defeating Wake Forest, 25-17. In Collins’ first season as a co-defensive coordinator for the Bulldogs, he helped mentor DT Fletcher Cox, a first team All-American and first team All-SEC selection in 2011. Cox was selected 12th overall in the first round of the NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, and earned All-Pro honors in 2014 and 2015.
Collins’ ability to mold a defense was evident well prior to his time in Mississippi State and Florida. Before coaching in the SEC, he sharpened his teeth as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Florida International University in 2010. During that season, his defense was ranked first in the Sun Belt Conference in total defense, scoring defense, pass defense efficiency, and turnover margin. This, off of the prior year when the team was ranked 119th in total defense nationally. This dramatic turnaround led Collins to be named a finalist for the Broyles Award in 2010, an award for the top assistant in college football.
Before joining the staff at FIU, Collins was a linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator under head coach George O’Leary at UCF for two seasons. In 2009, he was part of a staff the led the Knights to an 8-5 record and a berth in the St. Petersburg Bowl. Even though UCF did not make a bowl game in 2008, he had the defense ranked second in Conference USA in total and scoring defense.
Collins also spent some time working at both the University of Alabama and Georgia Tech. In 2007, he worked at Alabama as the director of player personnel under head coach Nick Saban and had the #1 recruiting class in the country. That class included Mark Ingram Jr., the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner and the first-ever by an Alabama player. He spent the 2006 season at Georgia Tech as director of player personnel. Georgia Tech secured their best recruiting class in team history that year as well.
Between the years of 2002 and 2005, Collins was the defensive coordinator at his alma mater Western Carolina. Collins’ defense was continually ranked near the top nationally at the FCS level while under his guidance. In 2005, the team was ranked first nationally in pass defense and 18th in total defense. The team also led the So-Con conference in rushing defense for the first time in program history in that season.
From 1999-2000, Collins served as a graduate assistant at Georgia Tech under O’Leary. During that time, the Yellow Jackets had a 25-12 record, including reaching three consecutive bowl games. In Collins’ last season at Georgia Tech he was promoted to tight ends coach under current Houston Texans’ head coach Bill O’Brien and the Yellow Jackets defeated the Stanford Cardinal in the 2001 Seattle Bowl, 25-12.
Collins got his chance at being a defensive coordinator at Albright College from 1997-1998. Before that, he was a linebackers coach for the Fordham Rams for the 1996 season. In 1995, he was an assistant coach for Franklin High School in North Carolina. He began his coaching career at his alma mater, Western Carolina University, contributing as a student assistant during the 1993 and 1994 seasons.
Collins played college football at WCU as an outside linebacker and defensive back from 1989-1992. He totaled 194 career tackles during his four year career with the Catamounts. As a junior, he was the team’s fifth-leading tackler (68), while registering 6.0 tackles-for-loss. As a senior, he helped Western Carolina to a 7-4 record, totaling 62 total tackles and 5.0 tackles-for-loss.
The Conyers, Ga., native was born April 10, 1971. He and his wife, Jennifer (formerly Haynes), have one daughter, Astrid (two).
Javier Morton, 9/6/25
Saturday, September 06
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K.C. Keeler, 9/6/25
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Ep. 2: Temple Football Alum Tyler Matakevich || Gymnastics Junior Amelia Budd
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