Collins has been the Temple head coach for the past two seasons, leading the Owls to seasons of 7-6 and 8-4. Before that, he was defensive coordinator at Florida (2015-16) and Mississippi State (2013-14). Collins left Mississippi State after the 2014 season and before the Bulldogs played against Tech in the Orange Bowl that season.

Collins, 47, is seen as energetic and innovative and has a reputation as a strong recruiter. In the second of his two stops at Tech, in 2006, he was credited with helping put together the Yellow Jackets' famed recruiting class that included Derrick Morgan, Jonathan Dwyer, Morgan Burnett and Joshua Nesbitt. Another member of that class, Roddy Jones, called Collins "ahead of the curve" in a recent interview with the AJC.

Stansbury’s comfort level with Collins is understandable. Collins coached at Tech in two different times, first in 1999-2001 as a graduate assistant and tight ends coach for coach George O’Leary, then in 2006 as the director of player personnel for coach Chan Gailey. O’Leary went on to Central Florida, where his athletic director for four of those years was Stansbury.

The AJC is continuing to report further developments.