As Virginia Tech's search for a defensive coordinator continues on, I'm diving into another name that has been both popular among Hokie fans and I've heard has at least received some consideration, Geoff Collins.
The former Temple and Georgia Tech head coach is one of the more experience and successful defensive coordinators available who also checks some of Brent Pry's boxes. So let's dive into the case for Collins as the Hokies' next defensive coordinator.
You can read my breakdown of the case for Penn State co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Anthony Poindexter here.
Positives
Lots of Success as a Defensive Coordinator
Let's start with the fact that Geoff Collins has tons of experience with varying levels of success at all of his stops as a defensive coordinator in addition to his six seasons as a head coach at Temple (2017-18) and Georgia Tech (2019-22).
Collins has been a defensive coordinator at Albright (1997-98), Western Carolina (2002-05), FIU (2010), Mississippi State (2013-14 plus co-DC in 2011-12), Florida (2015-16), and North Carolina (2024). That's the type of experienced defensive coordinator who understands what it looks like to run a defensive room and has plenty of experience to lean on for in-game playcalling and adjustments. More importantly, he's been successful at all of his FBS stops.
In his first FBS DC job at FIU, Collins took a defense that finished in the bottom 10 in total and scoring defense the year prior and finished in the top 70 in 2010.
At Mississippi State, Collins had a pair of top 35 scoring defenses along with a top 20 total defense during his first season in 2013. His scoring defense improved from year 1 to 2 during his tenure as the defensive coordinator after being the co-defensive coordinator the two years prior.
At Florida, Collins' defenses were in the top 12 in total defense and scoring defense both seasons including in the top 6 in both stats in his second and final season in 2016.
His North Carolina defense this past year...
