Report: Geoff Collins to make staff changes at Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech athletic director Todd Stansbury announced earlier in the week that the Yellow Jackets will be retaining head football coach Geoff Collins. But Collins will reportedly be making wholesale changes to the rest of his staff.

According to Zach Barnett of Football Scoop, Georgia Tech will be letting go of three assistants on Collins’ staff. Those assistants are offensive coordinator Dave Patenaude, co-defensive coordinator Nathan Burton, and cornerbacks coach and special teams coordinator Jeff Popovich.

Georgia Tech finished the season with a blowout loss to Georgia in Week 13. The Yellow Jackets end the year with a 3-9 record. Georgia Tech’s offense ranked in the bottom quarter of the ACC with 366.9 offensive yards per game 197.9 passing yards. The Yellow Jackets finished second worst in the ACC with 24 points per game and middle of the pack with 169 rushing yards per game.

Brett McMurphy confirmed the news on Sunday afternoon.

Todd Stansbury believes in Collins at Georgia Tech

Stansbury made his belief in Collins as Georgia Tech’s football coach clear earlier in the week. Geogia Tech has won just three games in three consecutive seasons.

“I have my man,” Stansbury said of the future of Collins at Georgia Tech. “But now it’s time where, how do we get over the hump?”

Despite Stansbury reiterating his belief in Collins, he acknowledges that there needs to be significant all-around improvement. He is hoping that the changes to the coaching staff will be the spark to make that change happen.

Despite just nine wins in three seasons, Georgia Tech was competitive in quite a few games this season. The Yellow Jackets lost four games by a single possession, including a season opening 22-21 loss to Northern Illinois and a 14-8 loss to Clemson in Week 3.

“Between the offense and defense and special teams, we’ve got to shrink that differential,” Stansbury said. “And if we can do that by 10 points, you’re looking at a totally different season. Where Coach is dialing in on what do, we need to do to close that differential, and it’s my job as the athletic director to give him and our players the resources they need to be successful to do that.

“I know he’s going to review kind of what it is that we need to do, where we are falling short, where there are holes in what we’re doing and we’re going to work together to get those things fixed.”