ATLANTA — Landon Collins wants his troubled teammate back, but prefers to pass on the legendary head coach.

The Giants’ Pro Bowl safety, in attendance for Monday night’s national championship game between Alabama, his alma mater, and Georgia, voiced support for maligned cornerback Eli Apple. He, however, doesn’t want to see Patriots coach Bill Belichick return to East Rutherford as had been rumored as a possibility in the wake of an ESPN story that detailed friction among Belichick, quarterback Tom Brady and owner Robert Kraft.

“My relationship can be repaired with him,” Collins said of Apple, with whom he feuded through the media this season. “Our relationship can be mended. I don’t know what his mindset is right now. He’s kind of all over the place right now. You can see that with his Twitter rant. We got to have an understanding why he’s playing football, because you got to be playing football to be one of the best players, not to be on the team and blowing your opportunity.”

Apple struggled mightily in his second season, appearing in only 11 games. He was inactive for a four-game stretch late in the year and suspended for the final game of the season. He clashed with Collins, who called him a “cancer” after Apple indirectly called Collins a liar when the safety said he was trying to help him through his struggles. Apple has recently been spending time on Twitter going at critical Giants fans.

Collins told The Post he and Apple haven’t spoken since having a sit-down with interim coach Steve Spagnuolo the final week of the regular season, and wouldn’t say whether either apologized to the other, wanting to keep the conversation private. But he plans to reach out to him soon, and spend time with him in the offseason. He believes Apple will be back with the Giants despite the myriad issues he dealt with and created this season.

“I think the organization should keep him,” Collins said. “He’s a first-rounder. He does a good job when his head is on straight on the field. … I want him to be here. I want him to be under my wing, and I can continue pushing him, continuing teaching him how this game is and how this business goes, and help him grow up as much as I can.”

As for Belichick, the five-time Super Bowl-winning coach who said on Monday he “absolutely” plans to stay with the Patriots, Collins said Belichick is too similar to his college coach, Nick Saban, for his taste. He credited Saban’s rigid style with getting him to the NFL, but it’s not something he wants to live through again.

“The way he runs his organization, I’ve been through that process. I don’t like it,” Collins said. “It’s too strict. …. He’s a great winner, he’s a great coach. I don’t know if [his style] is what the organization really wants.

“I talked to guys who played for [his] team. They love winning, but at the same time, they don’t want to be on the team.”

Collins doesn’t have a specific choice for whom he wants the Giants to hire. He has yet to meet with new general manager Dave Gettleman, but plans to do so this week once he returns to New Jersey. He’s been impressed so far by the new boss, who fired vice president of player evaluation Marc Ross and cut right tackle Bobby Hart the day before the regular-season finale.

“He’s sticking to his word, what his words were? ‘Kicking ass,’” Collins said. “I’m happy about that. I like that he’s enforcing what he said he was going to do. That’s the biggest thing.”