Collins graduated from Rockdale County High School in Conyers, Georgia. He went on to play football at Western Carolina University. Following his graduation, Collins served as a student assistant at Western Carolina, his alma mater, during the 1993 and 1994 seasons. Following a year coaching high school, Collins became the linebacker coach for Fordham in 1996 before becoming the defensive coordinator at Albright College from 1997 through 1998. Collins would leave Albright to become a graduate assistant at Georgia Tech under George O'Leary for the 1999 and 2000 seasons. Following two years in the GA position, Collins was promoted to tight ends coach at Georgia Tech for the 2001 season. Collins would return to his alma mater to become Western Carolina's defensive coordinator from 2002 through 2005 before returning to Georgia Tech in 2006 as the Director of Player Personnel. After a year at Alabama as the Director of Player Personnel, Collins would reunite with O'Leary at UCF as linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator from 2008 through 2009.
Collins coached at Mississippi State from 2011 through 2014. During that time, Collins coached All-American Fletcher Cox, who was drafted in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Upon being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2013, Collins helped lead a Bulldogs team that finished in the Top 5 in the SEC in total defense, rushing defense and passing defense. In 2014, Collins' Mississippi State defense led the SEC in sacks and had the conference's No. 1 Red Zone defense en route to a 10-3 record.
Collins spent two years as the defensive coordinator at Florida underneath Jim McElwain. While with the Gators, Collins oversaw a defense that ranked No. 6 in scoring defense in 2016 and No. 11 in 2015. During the 2015 season, Collins' defense became just the seventh team in the last 20 years to not allow a touchdown against three FBS Power 5 schools on the road in the same season. During his time at Florida, Collins coached five defensive players that were drafted in the 2016 NFL Draft and produced a consensus All-American in Vernon Hargreaves. Hargreaves and safety Keanu Neal were drafted in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Following the 2015 season, Collins was a candidate to replace O'Leary as the head coach at UCF. Collins interviewed for the position that ultimately went to Scott Frost.
Collins secured his first head coaching job in December 2016 when he was named Matt Rhule's successor at Temple. Collins had previously served as Rhule's boss at Albright College and Western Carolina. In Collins' first season, Temple went 7–6 and won the 2017 Gasparilla Bowl, the program's first bowl win since 2011 and just its third bowl win overall. In Temple's second season underneath Collins, the Owls started off 0-2 but finished the regular season 8–4 overall and 7–1 in conference play. The Owls qualified for the 2018 Independence Bowl as a result. Along the way, Collins surpassed Steve Addazio as the winningest Temple coach over the first two seasons of their tenure at the school.
Georgia Tech (2019–present)
On December 7, 2018, Collins was named the 20th head coach of Georgia Tech football. Collins had previously worked at Georgia Tech as a graduate assistant under George O’Leary from 1999-2000 and in 2007, recruited the highest-ranked class at Georgia Tech. Collins’ first game as Georgia Tech head coach was against Clemson where the Yellow Jackets lost 52-14. Tech also lost to Temple, where Collins previously was the head coach. On November 16, 2019, Collins led Georgia Tech to its first home shut out loss since 1957.
