North Carolina hires Geoff Collins as defensive coordinator after two-year stint with Gene Chizik

Collins last coached Georgia Tech before a midseason firing in 2022, but he is a respected defensive mind

By Dean Straka Jan 5, 2024 at 4:37 pm ET• 2 min read

North Carolina has hired former Georgia Tech coach Geoff Collins as its next defensive coordinator. Collins has not coached since his mid-season firing from Georgia Tech in 2022 but replaces Gene Chizik, who will not return in 2024 after two seasons.

"We couldn't be more excited to welcome Geoff Collins, his wife Jennifer, and their daughter Astrid to the Carolina football family," said coach Mack Brown in a statement. "Geoff is brilliant defensive mind, 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, and he'll utilize that experience for the benefit of our defense. We were blown away when we interviewed Geoff. He was unbelievably prepared. 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."

Collins is tasked with turning around a Tar Heels defense that ranked just inside the top 100 nationally with more than 400 yards per game allowed. Struggles on that side of the ball led to UNC losing five of its last six games -- punctuated by the Duke's Mayo Bowl vs. West Virginia -- after beginning the season 6-0.