Georgia Tech set to hire Temple’s Geoff Collins as head football coach

After a coaching search lasting just over a week, Georgia Tech is set to hire second-year Temple head coach Geoff Collins to succeed Paul Johnson on the Flats.

A native of Conyers, GA, Collins was a graduate assistant at Tech from 1999 through 2001 and recruiting coordinator in 2006, helping Tech bring in one of the most talent-laden classes in school history.

After departing Tech, he did impressive work as the defensive coordinator at FIU (2010), Mississippi State (2011-2014), and Florida (2015-2016) before landing at Temple. Since taking over the reigns of Mississippi State’s defense in 2011, he has never produced a defense that has finished outside the top 50 in the S&P defensive rankings and was the architect behind the fierce 2014 MSU defense that Tech faced in the Orange Bowl.

Collins led the Owls to a 15-10 overall record in two seasons and remains beloved by the Temple community — something we haven’t seen from the former fanbase of a coach Tech has hired in many years. His recruiting acumen has garnered praise at each of his stops, and he figures to be an excellent presence for Georgia Tech in the increasingly cutthroat recruiting environment of metro-Atlanta.

Above all, Collins brings a new energy and persona to a Georgia Tech team in need of a rebrand. This looks like a great hire by Todd Stansbury and the athletic department at a time when the football program really needs a big hit.

Staff-wise, we could see turnover on both sides of the ball. Collins has historically run a 4-3 scheme, a pretty significant departure from the 3-4 scheme that Nate Woody has spent the last year implementing, and it will be interesting to see the direction he decides to move in.

Welcome to Atlanta, coach Collins! It’s going to be an exciting era.

Update | 12/7, 9:30 a.m.

Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel is reporting that the deal is done, and Geoff Collins will be Georgia Tech’s next head coach.

Update | 12/7, 10:20 a.m.

Georgia Tech has confirmed that Geoff Collins is the new head coach!