Former Patriots LB Jamie Collins set to join UNC coaching staff as defensive assistant

Retired all-pro LB Jamie Collins, who won a Super Bowl with the Patriots under Bill Belichick, is joining his former head coach and his staff with the North Carolina Tar Heels. Collins will work as a defensive assistant with UNC. The news was relayed on Friday evening by TMZ Sports.

When he played for the Patriots, Collins led them to a Super Bowl victory in Super Bowl XLIX. He was also named second-team All-Pro in 2015. Collins led the NFL in forced fumbles in 2015. For his career in the National Football League, he finished with 708 tackles, 26.5 sacks, 39 pass deflections, 12 interceptions, 19 forced fumbles, eight fumble recoveries, and two defensive touchdowns.

During his college football playing days with the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, Collins racked up some impressive numbers. He finished with 314 total tackles, 21 sacks, three interceptions, and three touchdowns. He earned first team All-C-USA honors following his senior year in Hattiesburg.

In the 2013 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots selected Collins with the No. 52 overall pick in the second round. He also played with the Detroit Lions and the Cleveland Browns during his time in the league.

Outlook for Jamie Collins and the UNC coaching staff

Going into the 2025 college football season, there are very few teams with more intrigue around them than the North Carolina Tar Heels. After all, legendary NFL head coach Bill Belichick has taken over as the head man in Chapel Hill for his first college season.

There is a lot of debate about what to expect from North Carolina in 2025, coming off a season where they went 6-7 under Mack Brown. Now, however, the folks in the desert have weighed in on the topic. This comes before spring practice and the second Transfer Portal have begun, though rosters have already more clearly taken shape.

At this point, FanDuel has set the 2025 win total for North Carolina at 7.5 wins. They’re also listed at -102 to go under that win total and -128 to go over that win total.

The 2025 season will begin for North Carolina on September 1st when the Tar Heels host the TCU Horned Frogs. That’s one of two non-conference games against schools from the Big 12 with the other coming on the road against the UCF Knights. They’ll also have home non-conference games against a G5 and FCS opponent.

On3’s Dan Morrison also contributed to this article.