In the search for improved schemes and tactics, Georgia Tech coach Geoff Collins will bring together defensive coaches from several teams, including the Falcons, to present and trade ideas Wednesday at Tech.
The practice of bringing together coaching staffs from multiple schools to talk strategy is common in the offseason. Collins held a similar “summit,” as he called it, when he was at Temple.
“It’s really, really good, because you get to sit in a room with a bunch of other guys that have different takes on different things and you sit there (and say), ‘Here’s what we’re seeing in our league. Do y’all see it?’” Collins told the AJC. “’What’s some good things that you do with it?’ So it’s a good sharing of ideas, and it’s really good for the young coaches on the staff.”
Besides the Falcons, Collins said that defensive coaching staffs from Texas, South Carolina, Indiana, Georgia Southern, Navy, Central Michigan and Jacksonville State will attend. A notable name on the guest list among college coaches is new Texas defensive coordinator Chris Ash. Before his three-plus seasons as Rutgers’ head coach, Ash was co-defensive coordinator at Ohio State, where he helped the Buckeyes win the 2015 national championship and led a defense that finished second nationally in scoring defense the following season.
Collins said that defensive coordinator Andrew Thacker will give a presentation, and new Falcons defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi likely will present, as well. Lupoi came to the Falcons from the Cleveland Browns, where he held the same title, and before that was defensive coordinator at Alabama.
Tech can use ideas. While the Temple ranked among the top units in the American Athletic Conference in Collins’ two seasons with the Owls, the Jackets were among the weakest in the ACC last season.
“I think we’ve done a really good job playing some high-level defense over the years and kind of have a good reputation, and some really good programs are coming to share ideas with us,” Collins said. “I think it’s really good.”
Collins did not fail to mention that breakfast would be provided by a Waffle House food truck.
