Penn State has hired Stacy Collins as special teams coordinator/outside linebacker/nickels coach just a day following the departure of now former Nittany Lion special teams coach Joe Lorig to Oregon.
Collins, who has 24 years of collegiate coaching experience, spent the 2021 season as Boise State’s special teams coordinator and edge coach.
“We are excited to welcome Stacy Collins to Happy Valley,” Penn State coach James Franklin said in a press release. “As a veteran coach, Stacy brings a wide variety of experiences to our staff having served as a head coach, defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator during his career. He will bring significant value to our program and has a great depth of special teams knowledge and has found great success as a coordinator. His coaching style on special teams will allow us to continue our strong tradition as a special teams unit. I am thrilled to have Stacy, his wife Mandi, and their four daughters join our Penn State Football family.”
At Boise State, Collins’ special teams unit blocked three punts, which tied for seventh in the nation, and returned two for touchdowns. The Broncos blocked four kicks overall, ninth in FBS. Boise State was fifth in the nation and led the Mountain West Conference in punt returns with a 15.77 yards per return, while the Broncos’ kickoff return defense was second the MWC and 36th in FBS with a 19.03 average.
Boise State kicker Jonah Dalmas was named first-team All-Mountain West and a Lou Groza semifinalist, going 26-28 on field goals. Punt returner Stefan Cobbs was named second-team All-Mountain West for a season that included an 81-yard return for a touchdown.
Collins has had a long coaching career with ties to Lorig. The two were briefly teammates and then coaches at Western Oregon, Lorig would eventually end up at Utah State in the special teams role, only to eventually be replaced by Collins, who spent five seasons with the Aggies from 2016 to 2020. Now he succeeds Lorig with the Nittany Lions.
“I’m extremely excited about the opportunity to work under the leadership of Coach Franklin and join the Penn State family,” Collins said. “I look forward to developing and growing our special teams units which has had a history of success during coach’s tenure. I’m also excited to work with [new defensive coordinator Manny] Diaz and the defensive staff to continue to build on the strong defensive tradition of Penn State. My family and I can’t wait to start this new chapter in Happy Valley.”
