FOOTBALL
GEOFF COLLINS
LINEBACKERS/RECRUITING COORDINATOR • SECOND YEAR AT UCF • WESTERN CAROLINA, 1994 Geoff Collins is in his second year at UCF, where he serves as the program’s linebackers coach and recrui�ng coordinator. In his first campaign in Orlando, Collins helped UCF’s defense rank second in Conference USA in total and scoring defense. The Knights also paced the conference, and ranked third na�onally, in tackles for loss. Two of the linebackers that Collins mentored – Derrick Hallman and Lawrence Young – received All-C-USA Honorable Men�on recogni�on.
A na�ve of Conyers, Ga., who a�ended Rockdale County High School, Collins earned a bachelor’s degree from Western Carolina in Sport Management and Exercise Science in 1994 and then completed the Educa�on curriculum in 1995. He did postgraduate work in psychology at Fordham University and Georgia Tech. He is married to the former Jennifer Haynes.
Before joining the Knights’ staff, Collins spent a year as the director of player personnel at Alabama. While at Alabama, Collins’ was responsible for bringing in the best recrui�ng class in the history of the school along with being ranked the SEC’s and na�on’s consensus No. 1 recrui�ng class. The previous year at Georgia Tech, Collins’ efforts led to the Yellow Jackets best recrui�ng class in their storied history. The class finished as the na�on’s 11th-ranked class overall and first in the ACC. In 2002, Collins became the defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach at his alma mater, Western Carolina, and inherited one of the worst defensive units sta�s�cally in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision. In 2003, under Collins’ direc�on, the Catamount defense emerged as one of the best in the na�on. Despite playing two NCAA FBS teams and three of the FCS top 15 rushing teams, Western led the Southern Conference in rushing defense for the first �me since joining the league in 1976, while ranking 14th na�onally. In 2004, Western Carolina’s defense only allowed 301.91 yards per game to end the season ranked 12th na�onally, which was the school’s highest na�onal ranking at season’s end. In addi�on, Western ranked 15th in the na�on in pass defense, allowing just 163.64 yards per game. It marked the first �me since 2001 WCU was ranked among the na�on’s top 20 in pass defense.
Coaching Experience • UCF, 2008-Present Linebackers/Recrui�ng Coordinator • Alabama, 2007 Director of Player Personnel • Georgia Tech, 2006 Director of Player Personnel • Western Carolina, 2002-05 Defensive Coordinator, Defensive Backs (2002-04) • Georgia Tech, 1999-01 Tight Ends (2001), Graduate Assistant (1999-00) • Albright, 1997-98 Defensive Backs (1998), Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers (1997) • Fordham, 1996 Outside Linebackers • Franklin (N.C.) High School, 1995 Defensive Backs • Western Carolina, 1993-94 Student Assistant
While Western allowed just 138.27 yards per game against the run, the Cats held four of na�on’s top rushing teams to a combined 118.5 yards below their season average, including Georgia Southern (first in FCS), Wofford (second in FCS), Nicholls State (10th in FCS) and Furman (14th in FCS). In addi�on to tackle Albert Reid earning first team All-SoCon honors, defensive backs Primus Glover and Bruce Lee were named to the all-league team. In 2005, the Western Carolina defense was ranked No. 1 na�onally in pass defense along with being ranked 18th na�onally in total defense. Collins’ unit also finished ranked first in the Southern Conference in total defense and pass defense along with several other defensive categories. Francis Brown, Mitchell Dukes, Albert Reid, Rico Reese and Felipe Foster were all named to the league’s all-conference team. Prior to returning to Western Carolina, Collins spent three years with current UCF head coach George O’Leary at Georgia Tech. Collins began his career on the Flats as the defensive graduate assistant working with the linebackers in 1999 and with the defensive backs in 2000. In his final year at Georgia Tech, Collins helped �ght end Russell Matvay post career highs with 22 recep�ons for 245 yards, while the Yellow Jacket offense led the ACC in passing offense. Before his days at Georgia Tech, Collins spent two years as the defensive coordinator and linebackers and secondary coach at Albright College in Reading, Pa. In 1997, the NCAA Division III program boasted the leading defense in its conference and ranked in the top 10 na�onally in all defensive categories. In 1998, the Lions’ defense ranked among the top three in their league. In 1996, Collins served as an assistant coach at Fordham, working with the outside linebackers while also serving as the junior varsity defensive coordinator. He also spent one season (1995) as an assistant coach at Franklin (N.C.) High School while student teaching in the Macon County Public Schools. During his playing days at Western Carolina, Collins tallied 194 tackles as an outside linebacker and defensive back from 1989-92. He was the team’s fi�h leading tackler as a junior with 68, while registering six tackles for losses. As a senior, he helped Western to a 7-4 record, logging 62 total takedowns and five tackles for a loss. He began his coaching career as a student assistant on the Western Carolina staff in 1993, when the Catamounts were the preseason No. 1 team in the FCS.
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