Making sense of Geoff Collins’ expected role with South Carolina football team
In the infancy of Shane Beamer’s coaching tenure, his sidekick was a 29-year-old fellow grad assistant. At Georgia Tech in 2000, Beamer shared an office with Geoff Collins in an era of college football where staffs were smaller and GAs did everything.
Was that the sole reason Beamer hired Collins — the former head coach at Temple and Georgia Tech — as a senior defensive assistant coach this week? Not entirely. But that connection didn’t hurt.
It also didn’t hurt that Carolina defensive coordinator Clayton White’s early coaching days also included working alongside Collins at Western Carolina. DBs coach Torrian Gray coached under Collins at Florida. And then there’s another handful of USC staffers whose paths also crossed with Collins.
“He’s a great recruiter and coach,” Beamer said, “but there’s the familiarity that he has with so many people on our staff and the familiarity we have with him.”
Granted, it’s still not super clear what Collins is actually going to do for the Gamecocks.
“Senior defensive assistant coach” is essentially another way of saying “defensive analyst” — which basically subs one vague term for another. And, well, his actual job description might be broad because it might change based on what White needs.
“It just gives us more experience,” White said of Collins, “a guy who’s been in my shoes, defensive coordinator-wise. I’m the only guy on the (defensive) staff who’s actually called plays in a game. So it’s good to have another voice who’s been there.”
And not just someone, but a mentor. Since they crossed paths at Western Carolina in the mid-2000s, White has looked to Collins as a mentor. Before he took any job throughout his career, White called Collins. They talked often through the years. His presence in South Carolina’s building provides extra comfort and assistance for White.
Another thing: He’s been around South Carolina over the past few years.
After Collins was let go at Georgia Tech in 2022, he spent a week in Columbia with the Gamecocks coaches as they game-planned for an October matchup against Texas A&M.
Then this spring, after Collins spent 2024 as North Carolina’s defensive coordinator, he took trips to a few different programs and, of course, spent time at South Carolina.
“We were like, ‘What are your plans this year?’ ” White said.
Collins said he still wasn’t sure. He had earned the right to be picky, especially in a year where he will cash paychecks from two schools — Georgia Tech and North Carolina — he no longer works for.
Finally, after conversations this summer, Collins got on board with the idea of joining South Carolina.
The plan for Collins’ day-to-day work is still a “work in progress,” Beamer said. But whatever the plan, it will include Collins pitching ideas to White, ideas to Beamer, ideas to the recruiting staff. Anything to help.
