Geoff Collins - Football Coach

Geoff Collins

Title:
Defensive Coordinator
Email:
footballmail@gators.ufl.edu
Phone:
4100

COACHING EXPERIENCE

2015-Present	Florida	Defensive Coordinator
2013-14	Mississippi State	Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
2011-12	Mississippi State	Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
2010	Florida International	Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
2008-09	UCF	Linebackers/Recruiting Coordinator
2007	Alabama	Director of Player Personnel
2006	Georgia Tech	Recruiting Coordinator
2002-05	Western Carolina	Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs
1999-01	Georgia Tech	Graduate Assistant
1997-98	Albright College	Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
1996	Fordham	Linebackers
1995	Franklin (N.C.)	High School Assistant Coach
1993-94	Western Carolina	Student Assistant

COACHING ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Has 22 years of coaching experience and enters his second at UF after serving as the defensive coordinator for Mississippi State prior to his arrival.
The Gators finished the 2015 season ranked eighth nationally (third in the SEC) in total defense, allowing just 310.2 yards per game. The 2015 Gators were one of seven FBS teams since 1996 to not allow a touchdown against three different FBS power five conference opponents in road or neutral-site games in the same season. Tennessee (1998) and LSU (2011) are the only other SEC teams to accomplish that feat, and, like Florida, record those three games against SEC foes.
Florida was the only team in the country in 2015 to hold four FBS opponents to a third-down conversion rate of less than 17 percent. Additionally, the Gators were one of three teams to hold two FBS opponents under 10 percent in that category. UF’s 30 touchdowns allowed last year were the fifth-fewest in the SEC and tied for the 16th-fewest among FBS teams.
Florida ranked third in the SEC in points off turnovers (88), in addition to converting nine of its 24 takeaways into touchdowns in 2015. In addition, the Gators had 12 multi-sack games in 2015, tying the 1997 Gators who notched multiple sacks in all 12 of their games.
UF tallied four-plus sacks in four SEC games in 2015, eclipsing the 2012 Gators for the most times a UF team did that in a season since the start of the 2010 campaign.
Florida’s defense amassed seven-plus tackles for loss in eight games this year, which is tied for the second-most such outings by a UF team since 1993, ranking only behind the 1999 Gators (nine games of seven-plus tackles for loss). Of those aforementioned eight outings, five saw the Gators post at least 10 tackles for loss, joining the 1997 Gators as the only UF team since 1993 with five games of 10-plus tackles-for-loss in a single season.
Also last season, UF forced 62 defensive three-and-outs this year while averaging 3.7 per game.
Guided three players -- DL Jon Bullard, CB Vernon Hargreaves, and CB Jalen Tabor -- to first-team All-SEC Selections by the associated press.
- Hargreaves was named a consensus first-team All-American after being selected to all five teams that the NCAA considers for recognition.
In 2014, Collins helped Mississippi State to its first 10-win season since 1999 and a berth in the Orange Bowl.
His defense produced the second-most sacks (37) in the SEC and was the nation’s No. 1 red zone defense, as opponents scored on just 63.64 percent of their chances in the red zone.
Developed junior Benardrick McKinney, a 2014 first-team All-SEC selection, into one of the SEC’s best linebackers.
Under Collins’ tutelage, senior Preston Smith had a career year in 2014, racking up a team-best nine sacks and 15 tackles for loss.
In his first season as full-time defensive coordinator in 2013, Collins’ unit was one of the best in the SEC, ranking among the SEC’s top five in total defense (fourth - 349.3 yards per game), rushing defense (fourth – 144.2 yards per game) and pass defense (fifth – 205.2 yards per game).
During the last three games of the 2013 season, Collins’ defense allowed just 11.3 points per game, including two contests that featured overtime stands.
Prior to earning the full-time defensive coordinator position at Mississippi State, he was the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for two seasons (2001-12) where he developed linebacker Cameron Lawrence into All-SEC selection.
As the defensive coordinator at FIU in 2010, Collins was a finalist for the Broyles Award, given annually to the nation’s top assistant coach.
His 2010 defense led the Sun Belt in total defense, scoring defense, pass efficiency defense and turnover margin, a year after ranking 119th nationally in total defense.
In 2008 at UCF, he helped the Knights defense rank second in Conference USA in total and scoring defense.
He spent a year at Alabama (2007) serving under Nick Saban as his director of player personnel.
As the recruiting coordinator at Georgia Tech in 2006, his efforts led to the Yellow Jackets’ best recruiting class in their storied history.
From 2002-05, Collins was the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at his alma mater, Western Carolina.
In 2005, his defense ranked No. 1 nationally in pass defense along with being ranked 18th nationally in total defense.
He spent three years with former UCF head coach George O’Leary at Georgia Tech as a graduate assistant.

PROMINENT PLAYERS COACHED
MISSISSPPI STATE

LB BENARDRICK MCKINNEY – Originally recruited as a two-star quarterback out of high school, he developed into a 2014 First-Team All-SEC selection and 2012 Freshman All-SEC selection. Named an All-American by numerous media outlets and left school after his junior year in 2014 for the NFL Draft. MSU’s leading tackler in 2013 and 2014 and ended his career with 244 tackles.
CB DARRIUS SLAY – Second Team All-SEC selection in 2012. Played two seasons at MSU and finished his career with six interceptions. Drafted 36th overall in the 2013 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions.
DL FLETCHER COX – First Team All-American and All-SEC in 2011. Amassed 114 tackles, 24.5 tackles-for-loss and 8.5 sacks during his career. Selected with the 12th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Named a Second Team All-Pro after the 2014 season.

FLORIDA

CB Vernon Hargreaves – Was a three-time All-American and All- SEC Selection at corner back. Played three seasons at UF prior to declaring for the NFL Draft after his junior year. Was selected in the first round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 11th overall pick.
DB Keanu Neal - Ranked third on the team with 96 total tackles, including a team-high 51 solo grabs as a junior. Played in a total of 34 games and made 19 starts for the UF secondary. Neal declared for the NFL Draft after his junior season and was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the first round with the 17th overall pick.
DL Jon Bullard - Was named a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award, a first-team All-American by CBSSports.com and Pro Football Focus, and was a unanimous first-team All-SEC selection his senior year. Bullard appeared in 50 games and made 36 starts as a Gator and was selected in the third round of the NFL Draft with the 72nd overall pick by the Chicago Bears.

NFL PLAYERS (ROUND DRAFTED)
LB K.J. Wright (4th) – Mississippi St. ’11 – Seattle Seahawks
DE Pernell McPhee (5th) – Mississippi St. ’11 – Baltimore Ravens
LB Chris White (6th) – Mississippi St. ’11 – Buffalo Bills
DT Fletcher Cox (1st) – Mississippi St. ’12 – Philadelphia Eagles
S Charles Mitchel (6th) – Mississippi St. ’12 – Atlanta Falcons
CB Darius Slay (2nd) – Mississippi St. ’13 – Detroit Lions
CB Johnthan Banks (2nd) – Mississippi St. ’13 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
DT Josh Boyd (5th) – Mississippi St. ’13 – Green Bay Packers
LB Tourek Williams (6th) – FIU ’13 – San Diego Chargers
CB Vernon Hargreaves (1st) – Florida ’16 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
S Keanu Neal (1st) – Florida ’16 – Atlanta Falcons
DL Jon Bullard (3rd) – Florida ’16 – Chicago Bears
DT Chris Jones (3rd) – Mississippi State ’16 – Kansas City Chiefs
CB Will Redmond (3rd) – Mississippi State ’16 – San Francisco 49ers
LB Antonio Morrison (4th) – Florida ’16 – Indianapolis Colts
DE Alex McCalister (7th) – Florida ’16 – Philadelphia Eagles
DB Brian Poole (UFA) – Florida ’16 – Atlanta Falcons

PLAYING CAREER
Collins played at Western Carolina as an outside linebacker and defensive back from 1989-992. He tallied 194 career tackles and was the team’s fifth-leading tackler as a junior with 68, while registering 6.0 tackles for loss. As a senior, he helped Western Carolina to a 7-4 record, totaling 62 total takedowns and 5.0 tackles for loss.

PERSONAL INFORMATION
Birthdate: April 10, 1971
Hometown: Conyers, Ga.
Education: 1994 – Bachelor’s degree from Western Carolina
Wife: Jennifer
Daughter: Astrid

BOWL GAMES AS A COACH