UNC Football Hires Former ACC Head Coach As New Defensive Coordinator

This morning, Keeping It Heel released a list of potential defensive coordinator candidates for the UNC Football program and identified some key names that could be a good fit in Chapel Hill. While we expected Mack Brown and North Carolina to move quickly, we didn't expect them to move this quickly.

Former Georgia Tech Head Coach Geoff Collins was one of those names on that list. Shortly after our article on potential candidates was published, it was reported that the UNC Football program had set its eyes on Collins as the next defensive coordinator.

Less than an hour later, Collins had accepted the position to join the North Carolina coaching staff as the school's next defensive coordinator.

After being relieved of his head coaching duties in 2022 at Georgia Tech, Collins took the 2023 season off and did not coach anywhere. Here is an excerpt from our potential candidate list on Keeping It Heel published this morning that highlights Collins and why he is a good fit.

His defensive background is extensive, with his most recent stints coming in the Southeastern Conference with Mississippi State from 2011-2012 as co-Defensive Coordinator and 2013-2014 as Defensive Coordinator with the Bulldogs. He also spent 2015 and 2016 in the SEC with the Florida Gators before becoming a head coach at Temple in 2017. 

During his time in Starkville, his defense finished top-five in total defense, rushing defense, and passing defense during the 2013 season. He followed that up in his final season with the Bulldogs in 2014 with a defense that led the SEC in sacks and had the conference's No. 1 red zone defense. 

At Florida, his defenses finished No. 11 and No. 6 in scoring defense nationally in 2015 and 2016, respectively, while also putting up an impressive stat in 2015. The Gators became just the seventh team in the previous 20 seasons to not allow a touchdown against three power five schools on the road in the same season. 

Collins is also someone who has experience in leading a defensive scheme using the 4-2-5 and could prove to be a valuable asset to the coaching staff. He also brings the added benefit of having recruited the ACC landscape and Atlanta area during his time with the Yellow Jackets, which could be a bonus.

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