By Keith Taylor
Kentucky Today
Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops completed his staff on Thursday with the hiring of Chris Collins as Kentucky’s defensive backs coach.
Stoops “talked to several candidates” but the Wildcats coach kept circling back around to Collins each time.
“Each time I talked to Chris I came away more and more impressed with him,” Stoops said. “He brings great energy and enthusiasm to the staff on the field and as a recruiter. We are very excited to have him on board.”
Collins spent the past four seasons as safeties coach at Georgia Tech and helped guide the Yellow Jackets to a bowl game in three of his four seasons in Atlanta.
“My family and I are extremely blessed and excited to be a part of the Kentucky football family,” Collins said. “On top of Kentucky being an elite level program known for developing talent, this interview process has shown me a tremendous amount about Coach Stoops, Coach (Brad) White and the rest of the staff. When they say family first, they really mean it.”
Collins was impressed with Stoops during the interview process.
“My wife and I were having our first child (at the time),” Collins said. “Coach Stoops readjusted his schedule to accommodate my time with my wife and son. That showed me everything that I needed to know about the men I would be working with.
“Coach Stoops’ knowledge is second to none when it comes to defensive backs. I’m excited to learn and work with him, Coach White and the rest of the staff to continue to elevate this defense.”
In addition to Georgia Tech, Collins also has coached at Appalachian State, Catawba College in North Carolina and Western Carolina, where he also was a two-year captain and played safety and outside linebacker.
Keith Taylor is sports editor for Kentucky Today. Reach him at keith.taylor@kentuckytoday.com or twitter @keithtaylor21.