STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Penn State coach James Franklin announced Tuesday that veteran assistant coach Stacy Collins will join his staff as the special teams coordinator.
Collins will also serve as the outside linebackers and nickel coach for the Nittany Lions, Franklin said in a press release.
“We are excited to welcome Stacy Collins to Happy Valley,” said Franklin. “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.”
Collins spent last season as Boise State's special teams coordinator and edge coach.
“I'm extremely excited about the opportunity to work under the leadership of Coach Franklin and join the Penn State family,” said Collins. “I look forward to developing and growing our special teams units, which have had a history of success during coach's tenure. I'm also excited to work with Coach 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.”
Last season at Boise State, Collins’ special teams unit blocked three punts, which tied for seventh in the nation, and four kicks overall to rank ninth in FBS. Of the three blocked punts, two were returned for touchdowns.
Under Collins, the Broncos finished fifth in the nation and led the Mountain West Conference in punt returns with 15.77 yards per return.
In addition, Boise State’s kickoff return defense was second in the MWC and 36th in the FBS with a 19.03 average.
Collins guided Boise State kicker Jonah Dalmas to first-team All-Mountain West accolades in 2021. The same year, Dalmas also became a Lou Groza semifinalist after going 26-for-28 on field goals, including a school-record 26 consecutive attempts, and 38-of-39 on extra points.
Boise State punt returner Stefan Cobbs earned All-Mountain West second team honors. He posted an 81-yard punt return for a touchdown.
Prior to his time at Boise State, Collins spent five seasons at Utah State, spending the 2020 season as the co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach. He held the role of special teams coordinator and running backs coach in 2019, mentored inside linebackers in 2017-18 and served as the special teams coordinator in 2016.
During Utah State's 2019 campaign, kicker Dominik Eberle was All-Mountain West first team and a Pro Football Focus All-American honorable mention. He set 14 school records in his career and signed a free agent contract with the Las Vegas Raiders. Savon Scarver was an All-Mountain West first team honoree as a return specialist while Collins was named the Mountain West Special Teams Coordinator of the Year.
Utah State led the nation in takeaways (32), interceptions (22) and three-and-outs forced per game (5.69) in 2018, and was ranked third nationally with six defensive touchdowns. Collins mentored sophomore David Woodward, a Pro Football Focus All-America first team honoree and the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year.
Collins served as the Aggies’ defensive coordinator for the 2018 New Mexico Bowl, a 52-13 victory over North Texas, and Utah State finished No. 22 in the Associated Press poll.
Prior to Utah State, Collins was the head coach at Division II South Dakota School of Mines for four seasons and led the Hardrockers to winning seasons in 2013 and 2015.
In 2014, South Dakota School of Mines set single-season school records for first downs, passing yards and total yards. Throughout the 2014-15 seasons, 14 student-athletes earned all-conference honors.
Collins spent the 2011 season as the special teams coordinator at Portland State when placekicker Zach Brown was an All-American.
From 2008-10, Collins was the special teams coordinator and linebackers/defensive line coach at Central Washington. Placekicker Garrett Rolsma was an All-American and two-time all-conference selection for the Wildcats.
Collins also had stints at Southern Oregon (defensive coordinator, 2007), Idaho State (linebackers, 2005-06), Western Washington (linebackers, 2003-04/special teams coordinator, 2004), South Dakota School of Mines (defensive coordinator/safeties, 2002) and Western Oregon (linebackers, 1998-2001).
In addition to his collegiate experience, Collins coached three seasons (1999-2001) for the Vienna (Austria) Vikings of the European Federation of American Football. The Vikings won Austrian national championships all three seasons.
Collins played linebacker at Western Oregon for four seasons (1993-97). He earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education (1998) and a master’s in education (2001).
A native of Sutherlin, Oregon, Collins and his wife, Mandi, have four daughters, Kayla, Mackenzie, Kylee and Mackenna.
