Mack Brown explains hiring of Geoff Collins

North Carolina made a staff change earlier this offseason with the hire of Geoff Collins to replace Gene Chizik as defensive coordinator.

In Mack Brown’s opinion, he was the candidate that the Tar Heels couldn’t pass up on. In a press conference on Monday, he said that, during their hiring process, the coach that set himself apart the most on all of their lists was Collins.

“We looked at probably five people that we interviewed. The one that kept popping up to all of us was Geoff Collins,” said Brown.

Brown pointed out how, with his resumé, the choice was obviously Collins in the end. With his background as a coach and defensive coordinator, he was the most qualified to take their opening.

“Experienced as a defensive coordinator at a lot of different places. But, specifically, did a great job at Mississippi State and at Florida,” recalled Brown. “Been a head coach at Temple and Georgia Tech so he gets it. A tremendous recruiter, very passionate.”

“You start looking at what Geoff has done? 27-year coaching veteran,” Brown continued. “Six years as a head coach, 11 years as a defensive coordinator. Top-notch recruiter. Produced more than three dozen NFL players.”

In six years as a head coach, Collins went 25-38 overall with the Owls (15-10) and Yellow Jackets (10-28) from 2017 to 2022. As a defensive coordinator, though, he earned three separate nominations for The Broyles Award at FIU, Mississippi State, and Florida, especially with his work in the Southeastern Conference from 2011 to 2016 in Starkville and Gainesville.

He will now take over for a UNC defense that has averaged a finish outside the Top-75 and allowed nearly 29 points per game over Brown’s five seasons in his second stint with the program.

Brown wants to find answers on that side of the football in Chapel Hill. Now, with Collins taking over, he believes they’ve done exactly that with a coach that’s already doing work that they’re happy with.

“Why do you hire him? You look at his record as a defensive coordinator and it’s as good as anybody in the country,” said Brown.

“He’s doing exactly what we want,” Brown said. “He’s fiery, he’s got an aggressive style, and he attacks. That’s very, very important to us.

More on North Carolina’s hire of Collins as defensive coordinator

Mack Brown hired Geoff Collins as his defensive coordinator earlier this month.

“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Geoff Collins, his wife Jennifer, and their daughter Astrid to the Carolina Football family,” Brown said in a statement. “Geoff is a brilliant defensive min who has been successful at a number of different locations as both a head coach and a coordinator. His experience shows that he knows what it takes to lead the men in our program. He’ll utilize that experience for the benefit of our defense.”

“We were blown away when we interviewed Geoff. He was unbelievably prepared,” Brown said. “He had watched all of our games, knew our personnel, and pinpointed the items he’d implement to improve our players and the defensive unit as a whole. I can’t wait to get Geoff and his family to Chapel Hill and get to work.”

While Geoff Collins did not succeed as a head coach at Georgia Tech, he has been a successful defensive assistant throughout his career. He will certainly look to continue that under Brown at North Carolina.

“My family and I want to thank Coach Brown and the staff at UNC for presenting us with this opportunity,” Collins said in a statement. “I’ve long admired Carolina and know what a truly special place it is. I feel honored and am very excited to get to work with the high-quality student-athletes in Chapel Hill. This past year has been a very valuable experience personally. Studying the game from a unique perspective, following the trends, and preparing for my next coaching position. I’m ready for this challenge.”