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"Tar Heel Tribune Podcast," Episode 13: Geoff Collins, veteran college football coach #UNC
Sep 15, 2026
To listen to other “Tar Heel Tribune Podcast” episodes, follow this link: https://tarheeltribune.com/2026/09/10/tar-heel-tribune-podcast/
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0:01
Hey there. Welcome back to the Tar Hill
0:03
Tribune podcast. I'm glad to be here.
0:05
You're glad to be here. We're all glad
0:07
to be here. Arl Binham, the founder and
0:08
the publisher of Tarhill Tribune. All of
0:10
his stuff is at tarheeltribion.com. And
0:12
we are glad to be joined this week by
0:14
Jeff Collins, former head coach at
0:16
Temple in Georgia Tech. He's been
0:17
everywhere. He's done everything. He
0:19
hangs out a lot these days at his
0:21
YouTube channel. It's YouTube.comcoach.
0:25
Jeff, how you doing?
0:28
>> Life is amazing, man. Y'all doing good?
0:31
>> Doing fantastic.
0:32
>> Doing good.
0:35
>> Uh, as somebody who was part of the UNCC
0:39
program just two seasons ago, what's
0:42
your view of the first 14 games of the
0:44
Billic era with all the drama off the
0:47
field, the struggles last season, and
0:48
then the 2 and 0 start this season?
0:50
>> Right. And I I think, you know, I've
0:52
done this a long enough I'm not going to
0:53
have any hard takes about coaches or
0:56
places that I've left and all those kind
0:58
of things. Um, but it has been it has
1:01
been an interesting journey. Um, but I
1:04
do think the first two games, uh,
1:06
especially, uh, UNCC's front four, like
1:10
I think the the front four for UNCC on
1:12
defense and the tight end, I I I think
1:16
they have been difference makers uh, for
1:19
the Tar Hills this season. And it's
1:21
going to be interesting Saturday, you
1:23
know, versus Clemson to see how it all,
1:25
you know, comes together. I think it's
1:27
going to be a low scoring affair. I'm
1:28
sure we're going to talk more as we go.
1:30
Um, but I think you know two and 0 start
1:33
in anywhere in college football that's
1:35
that's pretty good.
1:37
>> So, so what are your overall impressions
1:38
of UNCC's defense? And we already knew
1:41
about Mel Cart Abuja Day and coming into
1:44
the season knowing he was a dangerous
1:46
edge rusher, but we've now seen two more
1:48
and uh and Jaylen Harvey and tackle
1:52
Xavier Lewis and both those guys had two
1:54
sacks against ETSU and I believe you
1:57
helped brought bring on Leroy Jackson.
2:00
Can you can you break down what you've
2:01
seen defensively, individually, and
2:03
schematically?
2:04
>> Yeah. So, and I think there um you know,
2:07
coming from the NFL, I think there's was
2:10
a learning curve last year, and it's
2:12
understandable because there's so much
2:13
quarterback run game. Uh the the the
2:16
width uh the hashes is completely
2:19
different than in the NFL. So, there's
2:21
there's a lot of unique things that
2:23
exist in college football that don't
2:26
exist in the NFL with the tight hashes,
2:28
the the lack of a true quarterback run
2:31
game. Um, but it looks like in the first
2:34
two games, uh, with coach Bellich, I
2:37
think actually calling the games, uh,
2:39
him and his his son, the DB coach, uh,
2:42
that they've kind of figured out the
2:44
nuances of the college game that have
2:46
been different. And then anytime at any
2:50
level of football, if you have a
2:52
dominant defensive line, you've got a
2:55
chance. And I think just watching it,
2:58
uh, that defensive line is could be one
3:01
of the best in the ACC.
3:04
>> I don't think it's a secret to anybody.
3:06
The North Carolina Tarheel football
3:08
program has had problems with Clemson
3:09
going back many, many years. Uh, I
3:11
actually watched a lot of the Georgia
3:13
Southern game with Max Johnson at
3:14
quarterback for the Georgia Southern
3:16
Eagles and I really think that there was
3:18
a lack of identity for the Clemson
3:20
Tigers and uh I I I said earlier this
3:24
week that if you have those two games,
3:26
you watch them side by side, you might
3:28
come away with the fact that North
3:29
Carolina is a better football team right
3:31
now. Have you seen Clemson and what is
3:33
your your uh expectation or your
3:35
thoughts on Clemson coming into this
3:36
game? [clears throat]
3:38
And first of all, Max Johnson is a hell
3:41
of a player and an even better kid. You
3:45
know, just not playing revisionist
3:47
history, but Max Johnson doesn't get
3:49
hurt in the opener against Minnesota.
3:54
The season could have gone a whole bunch
3:55
of different ways. Uh, but he is a hell
3:58
of a player. He's a hell of a kid. So
4:00
happy to see him back healthy, back
4:03
playing the game that he loves. Um, but
4:07
the the the Clemson, uh, I'm still think
4:10
they're trying to find their identity on
4:11
offense. You know, Chad Morris came
4:13
back, um, after a hiatus from being the
4:16
head coach at Arkansas and all those
4:18
kind of things. And I think just, you
4:20
know, not having called plays in a
4:23
while, getting in that rhythm, it takes
4:25
a minute to get back into that rhythm of
4:27
doing it. And I think at some point it's
4:30
going to click for him and for
4:31
everybody. and uh you know he's a great
4:34
coach and all those kind of things. Um
4:35
but defensively for Clemson,
4:39
you know, that LSU game was obviously
4:41
not what they wanted to have happen. Um
4:44
but I think any team going into that
4:47
environment on that night, like I've
4:50
coached in LSU, Death Valley at night,
4:53
uh and it is a tough place to play with
4:56
Lane Kein pouring all the gasoline on
4:58
that fire. There's not a lot of teams
5:00
that were going to go into Death Valley
5:02
that night and, you know,
5:03
[clears throat] get a dub or perform
5:06
extremely well. So, I think the Clemson
5:08
defense is better than they showed in
5:10
that opener. So, I think they'll be
5:13
better, you know, when they play
5:14
Carolina this weekend, too.
5:18
>> So, you your big background is defense.
5:21
What have you seen from Carolina's
5:24
offense under Patrino? I mean, we're
5:26
seeing all kinds of different schemes.
5:29
Two tight ends, two running backs, five
5:31
wads.
5:33
>> And Galani Thurman, who's a stud. He had
5:36
the best PFF offensive grade in the
5:38
country among tight ends over over the
5:40
weekend.
5:40
>> He's magically frequently open, and I
5:43
think uh Patrio might be part of the
5:45
reason why.
5:47
>> Oh, he he's a legendary offensive play
5:50
caller. you know, arguably one of the
5:51
best in the game over the last 20 years
5:54
at all of [clears throat] his stops and
5:55
even when he's the head coach running
5:57
the offense, uh has been absolutely
5:59
phenomenal. But the thing that I have
6:02
found interesting uh just watching that
6:04
first game,
6:07
he was not trying to put uh do all of
6:11
his sexy things that could put the
6:15
Carolina football team in harm's way. He
6:18
just played the game in a in a
6:20
surprisingly Bellichian fashion. And I
6:23
think he did the same thing against East
6:25
Tennessee. Like they've got dynamic
6:28
playmakers, but the quarterback might be
6:30
a little different than some of the
6:32
quarterbacks that he's had in the past.
6:34
and he's just trying to figure out the
6:36
strengths of our offense relative to it
6:40
looks like we've got a really good
6:42
defense and let's try to figure out a
6:44
way to play close games, not put the
6:48
ball in harm's way and end up winning,
6:52
you know, 14 to 13 at the end and get
6:55
somebody to jump off sides with 30
6:57
seconds left and, you know, those kind
6:59
of things. I think he has uh checked his
7:03
ego at the door because all of us that
7:05
become head coaches are in that realm of
7:08
you know ball
7:10
you're going to have a big ego me
7:12
included and I think the impressive
7:14
thing for coach Petrino is that he has
7:17
kind of checked that at the door and
7:20
what can we do as an offense to play the
7:25
game to win the game not worried about
7:28
scoring 50 60 points a game. Now, if we
7:32
have to do that at some point, Bobby
7:34
Patrino is well uh prepared to do that,
7:38
but I don't think he feels the need to
7:40
have to do that right now at the expense
7:43
of turnovers or negative plays, you
7:45
know, three and outs and things like
7:47
that.
7:49
>> Yeah, 15 to 10 was a little bell check
7:51
in for sure.
7:53
>> Uh what what have you seen from Billy
7:56
Edwards Jr. so far? I mean, nothing
7:58
spectacular, but he's not turning the
8:00
ball over. Y
8:01
>> and as Bich told us, uh,
8:04
>> he's coming to the line and changing
8:05
plays when he sees that the defense in
8:08
front of him isn't going to work with
8:10
the play. So, he's got that veteran kind
8:12
of savvy to to make those sorts of
8:15
decisions on the fly.
8:17
I I think the the thing just watching
8:19
him from as a casual observer
8:22
is the poise that he plays with the
8:25
confidence and command that he kind of
8:28
presents when he's out on the field. And
8:31
I that's that's a skill that is it takes
8:34
time to develop
8:36
and I think he's got it. And I think
8:38
just his calm demeanor that just hey I'm
8:41
going to get us in the right play. I'm
8:43
gonna make sure everything's the way
8:45
it's supposed to be. You guys get lined
8:47
up. If you need reminder of what we're
8:49
doing right now, I can remind you and
8:51
then let's just play clean football. And
8:53
I think he resembles coach Bellich
8:57
out on the field. And I think that's a
8:59
pretty cool thing when you're
9:02
quarterback and the head coach are kind
9:04
of in sync in that manner. I think it
9:07
helps everybody.
9:09
Coach, it's going to be more important
9:11
than it has been in the past two weeks,
9:13
for the next two weeks for the
9:14
University of North Carolina Tarheel
9:16
football team not to make mistakes, not
9:18
to beat themselves. When you were in
9:19
those situations, obviously Clemson and
9:21
Notre Dame are going to be tough
9:22
opponents anyway. And you just you're
9:24
not going to be able to win the football
9:25
game if you turn it over a lot, you have
9:27
a lot of penalties. when you were
9:28
coaching and you had a situation where
9:30
you guys were playing a football team
9:32
that was heavily favored and that it was
9:34
going to be vital that you didn't beat
9:36
yourself, how would you uh take special
9:38
preparation to say, "Hey guys, we got to
9:40
make sure that we don't beat ourselves."
9:42
Was there something special that you
9:43
would do in those weeks leading up to
9:44
those games?
9:46
What? So, I I was blessed to be around
9:48
Nick Sabin uh in 2007 for a full year.
9:52
And that's all he ever talked about was
9:55
just doing your job one play at a time,
9:58
not make the play or the game or the
9:59
situation bigger than it needed to be
10:02
and just staying completely in the
10:03
moment and doing your job. Well, it's no
10:06
secret that one of his closest friends
10:08
in the world is Coach Bellac and they
10:10
are very similar in the way they
10:12
approach the game. So, I think having
10:14
the ability to do that regardless of who
10:17
your opponent is, like I'm texting, so
10:19
Matt Rule is one of my best friends in
10:20
the world, the head coach at Nebraska. I
10:23
wake up this morning, now I'm
10:24
semi-retired, so I get to sleep in a
10:26
little bit longer, but I wake up at like
10:28
7, and I already have a text from Matt
10:32
from 6:00 a.m., which means in Lincoln,
10:34
Nebraska, what's that math? 5:00 a.m.
10:37
Whatever. Matt's already texting me at 5
10:39
am and kind of hey just what are your
10:43
thoughts Jeff on this week for me and I
10:47
basically just said that exact same
10:48
thing just one play I use some cuss
10:51
words but one play at a time stay in the
10:54
moment uh play physical play relentless
10:56
all of those things every single play
10:59
that's how Bill Bich taught Nick Sabin
11:02
that's how Nick Sabin has taught college
11:04
football how to play the game and I
11:07
think That's that's paramount uh moving
11:10
forward for the team regardless of who
11:12
the opponent and the other piece is, you
11:14
know, being in this seat now and the
11:16
seat you guys are in, you can look ahead
11:19
to two or three weeks from now whether
11:21
they have a by-week before they play
11:22
Notre Dame,
11:24
>> right?
11:24
>> Is that right?
11:26
>> Right. So that not looking ahead like we
11:28
can look ahead, but I'm sure coach
11:31
Bellich is not letting his team worry
11:34
about who's coming to town in a couple
11:36
of weeks. And by the way, I will be
11:38
there on that sideline because uh me,
11:40
Marcus Freeman, Chris Ash, Mike Martin,
11:42
the GM, I am super tight with that whole
11:45
crew. So, I will be on the sidelines.
11:47
Hopefully, I'll get to see you all.
11:50
>> So, uh yeah. Yeah. If Carolina goes into
11:53
that game three and 0, it's it's going
11:55
to be a crazy atmosphere there at Keenan
11:58
Stadium. But obviously a small
12:00
>> I think anytime anytime plays anybody it
12:03
just raises the raises the ceiling for
12:07
everything especially if you're three
12:09
and 0 going into it that'll be Ken will
12:13
be rocking.
12:15
So obviously a small sample size, two
12:18
games, one against an FCS team. Uh but
12:22
so you can't draw huge conclusions after
12:25
two weeks, but where do you think
12:28
Carolina stands in the pecking order in
12:31
the ACC? And what do you think their
12:33
ceiling is and what do they need to do
12:36
to get there? So I I to be honest with
12:39
you, I think I'm like everybody else
12:42
that don't have a feel like I watch them
12:45
and like watch the the game over in
12:47
Ireland and I couldn't tell if both
12:49
teams were kind of good or both teams
12:53
were kind of not. I did I I couldn't
12:56
draw that distinction, but good teams
13:00
win, right? and the ability to to grind
13:04
out a win, that's a skill, right? And I
13:07
think the East Tennessee State game, a
13:10
lot of times you look at the in for
13:12
whatever reason in this day and age of
13:14
college football,
13:16
all of these Power Four versus FCS games
13:19
are 77-3,
13:22
uh, 66-7,
13:24
62 to nothing. It wasn't like that,
13:27
right? What was the final score? 35 to
13:30
>> 35 to three.
13:32
>> 35 to three. Okay. I was about to say
13:33
that, but I just wanted to But 35 to
13:36
three. So, it wasn't one of those like
13:39
everybody else has been. So, then you're
13:41
like, you know, were we just not running
13:44
the score up? What, you know, where is
13:47
the ceiling? I don't know that either.
13:49
Um, I think this coming, you know, this
13:52
Saturday will give a little better
13:54
indication, but I don't know how that we
13:57
know how good or bad Clemson is. Like
14:00
LSU by the end of the season, they're
14:02
going to be one of the top five teams in
14:04
college football. Like you watch them
14:06
play, they're going to be that. Well,
14:08
Clemson right now is not, but it doesn't
14:11
mean they're a bad team, you know? And
14:14
then the next week LSU goes out against
14:16
Louisiana Tech and it's close until they
14:19
blow it open at the end. So, uh, I still
14:22
think it's early and I don't know that
14:25
the opponents that UNCC has played or is
14:28
going to play this Saturday are going to
14:31
define that even any more clear than
14:33
we're sitting here right now.
14:35
And I know that answer sucks and I
14:37
apologize.
14:40
Hey, you know, it's honesty. Uh, back
14:43
when you were the DC at Mississippi
14:45
State, you grabbed the moniker, uh,
14:49
Minister of Mayhem. Yes. Can you give us
14:51
some background on why that is? And do
14:55
you see mayhem in the Tor Hills defense
14:58
this season?
14:59
>> Okay, it's a great question. Uh, so I
15:01
just think the the nature of my
15:03
personnel, and you guys got to see a
15:05
glimpse of it when I was at UNCC. I was
15:08
still in my feelings about everything
15:10
that had happened at Georgia Tech. So, I
15:12
wasn't the full uh embodiment of the
15:14
Minister of Mayhem, even though we were
15:16
what, sixth in the country in sacks at
15:18
UNCC that year, which is pretty good.
15:20
Um, but I just think creating tackles
15:22
for loss, a lot of blitzing, a lot of
15:24
sacks, you know, all those kind of
15:26
things, turnovers, um, and then kind of
15:28
the nature of my personality
15:31
lent to gaining that nickname. And then
15:33
once you've got a cool nickname,
15:36
you know, the social media creative
15:38
people, they're going to lean into it
15:40
and hype it up even more. Like I don't
15:42
walk around the house and make sure my
15:44
wife and daughter call me the minister
15:46
of mayhem, right? I'm lucky I'm lucky if
15:49
my daughter doesn't just call me bro.
15:51
So, uh, it's just something that has
15:54
been created in the media and I'm cool
15:56
with it. Like, I kind of like it. Um,
16:00
but the thing that I I watch when I'm
16:02
watching Coach Bellich's defense,
16:06
it's not a lot of crazy fronts and crazy
16:09
coverages. It's not a lot of crazy
16:12
blitzes. It's just it just good sound
16:15
football. Like I do think there was a
16:17
learning curve last year. like things
16:20
that you would just normally do in the
16:21
NFL,
16:23
you can't do in the college game against
16:27
the things that you're having to see and
16:29
that you're having to defend in the
16:31
college game. And I think you see this
16:33
year, even though they're not blitzing a
16:36
ton, they don't stun a ton, um there's
16:38
not all these exotic coverages, they
16:41
play good, sound, physical football with
16:43
really good players. And I think that's
16:45
a good recipe as well um to to win
16:49
games.
16:50
>> It's kind of a small sample size, but I
16:52
you've you've seen probably a lot of
16:54
football already this season. I'm trying
16:55
to figure out the hierarchy of how the
16:57
teams are in the ACC. I know Miami far
16:59
and away is the best team. And look,
17:01
most people feel like they're at least
17:02
going to play for a national
17:03
championship.
17:05
Go ahead with that. You got a thought
17:06
about that?
17:07
>> I saw I saw I saw him in person in
17:09
preseason camp. Like me and me and Mario
17:12
are are super close friends. And he and
17:14
I won a conference championship together
17:17
right here. There's my FIU helmet, me
17:19
and Mario. And then there's me and Mac.
17:21
Brown right there, the Carolina helmet.
17:23
But I go I go to the Miami practice and
17:26
I've said this before in all the Miami
17:29
people have gassed it up on social
17:30
media, but the best quarter I went to 30
17:33
camps in preseason. The best quarterback
17:35
I saw was Miami's formerly Duke. Uh, the
17:39
best receiver was Malachi Tony. The best
17:42
skill group as a whole was at the
17:44
University of Miami. The best offensive
17:47
line that I saw was at the University of
17:49
Miami. And I went to all of the SEC's in
17:52
the Southeast as well. And that team
17:55
that Mario has put together,
17:58
coach, it's
18:00
it it's it's it's special. like the game
18:02
when they play Notre Dame. And again, I
18:04
can look ahead to that. When they play
18:07
Notre Dame, that's going to be
18:10
absolutely nuts.
18:12
>> Now, as far as the second best team in
18:14
the ACC, I think there's conventional
18:16
wisdom, it's SMU. SMU, I thought, was
18:18
not that impressive against Florida
18:19
State. They tried to hand that team the
18:21
football uh game. Uh and then give us
18:24
maybe your top five. Duke has been
18:25
impressive so far. I think Franklin's
18:27
got Virginia Pat back rolling. I think
18:30
Georgia Tech has been kind of a hard
18:32
luck, but I think they've got some some
18:34
guns there as well. Tell me what your
18:36
four or five top teams in the league are
18:38
right now.
18:40
>> And so, and and I always have a little
18:42
bit of bias because I know all these
18:44
guys and so, you know, sometimes I don't
18:47
want to say too much because I'm not
18:48
hyping up one of my close friends, but I
18:52
think Virginia is really good. I think
18:55
the things James Franklin has done uh
18:57
since he's been there is impressive.
18:59
Keeping Brent Pry, who I think is a
19:02
tremendous defensive play caller, to get
19:04
him to stay, that's nuts. And the fact
19:08
that Brent did it and James wanted him
19:10
to, like I get why James wanted him to,
19:13
but the fact that Brent did it is so
19:14
impressive to me. And the performances
19:17
they've put the first two weeks are
19:20
great. Uh the roster that they have at
19:22
SMU, I think that's an impressive
19:24
roster. Um and Rhett does a great job
19:26
coaching as well. Um and I'm trying to
19:29
think of anybody. Those are the ones
19:31
that So Miami, Virginia, Virginia Tech,
19:34
SMU. I would say those jump off um you
19:38
know, jump off my head thinking about
19:40
the the top four teams. And I could be
19:42
missing somebody, but those four come to
19:45
mind right away.
19:48
Looking at uh Saturday's uh ACC opener
19:51
against Clemson, uh just put on your uh
19:56
defensive coordinator hat. What are the
19:58
keys to to stopping Clemson's offense?
20:01
And do you try to exploit the fact that
20:03
they're starting a true freshman making
20:05
his first college start?
20:07
>> Right. And I I just think it goes back
20:09
to playing good, clean, sound football.
20:11
Like there's go there's going to be uh
20:15
indicators in the Clemson offense. There
20:18
have been for a long time that kind of
20:20
give you a tip for the things that are
20:22
about to come. Dialing in on those. Um
20:25
but just playing good, clean, sound
20:27
football. I I think that's the biggest
20:29
thing. Tackle well in space because
20:32
Clemson does have tremendous skill
20:34
players. um and then finding ways to
20:36
affect the quarterback with the
20:39
relentless pressure of that front four.
20:41
And I don't know that they plan on
20:43
blitzing a ton. I don't know that they
20:46
need to blitz a ton because I do think
20:48
the advantage Dline versus O line in
20:52
this matchup. UNCC's got the advantage
20:56
um at that position.
20:58
>> Coach, go ahead RL.
21:00
>> Moving out of football. moving on
21:02
football real quickly. I understand you
21:04
have a neighbor who had a fairly
21:06
successful uh uh coaching achievement in
21:09
the summer
21:11
>> uh in Rod Bridnavore. Uh any interesting
21:14
stories there? Stanley Cup stories?
21:17
>> So the so the I think the night they got
21:20
back where were they were in Las Vegas,
21:22
right? So the night they got back uh his
21:25
wife put on the neighborhood group text,
21:28
hey we're going to drive through the
21:29
neighborhood with the trophy. uh if you
21:32
guys want to come out and get it because
21:33
the neighborhood, our neighborhood was
21:35
just red and black and hurricanes
21:37
everywhere. My wife and I and our
21:39
daughter had signs in our yard, too. And
21:42
so our family got a picture with the
21:44
Stanley Cup, right? It was nuts. Like
21:46
I'm a huge soccer fan. I use I'm a huge
21:49
hockey fan since I was a little dude.
21:51
And so being in the presence of the
21:54
Stanley Cup was awesome. I'm a huge
21:56
Philadelphia Flyers fan. So obviously
21:59
love Rod Rod Brendmore from when he
22:01
played there. But the better story is I
22:05
go take my dog for a walk through the
22:07
neighborhood two and a half, three
22:08
miles, whatever.
22:10
So this is a couple weeks ago. I'm
22:12
walking the dog through the neighborhood
22:14
and I'm walking by Rod's house and the
22:17
keepers of the cup and the Stanley Cup
22:20
are right there on Rod Brenda Moore's
22:22
porch and they were I guess it was his
22:25
actual day. I don't know how he had
22:26
gotten it the first time, but it was his
22:29
day to spend with the cup. And the
22:31
eight-year-old me was losing my mind
22:35
that [laughter] there's the Stanley Cup
22:36
and there's Rob Brendmore in just live
22:39
and in person, but I played it so cool.
22:42
I just walked by, gave a little, you
22:45
know, good morning, whatever, and kept
22:47
it moving. But the eight-year-old me,
22:50
bro, I was going I was going nuts
22:52
inside.
22:54
Coach, you have a lot of contact, a lot
22:56
of
22:58
>> my daughter touched it. My daughter
23:00
touched Stanley Cup.
23:01
>> Nice.
23:02
>> She told me afterwards, she said, "Dad,
23:03
I touched it." I'm like, "That's so
23:05
cool."
23:07
>> Uh, you have a lot of contact with a lot
23:08
of coaches, a lot of your friends and
23:10
stuff who are still in the business
23:11
doing what they do. And for us, we
23:13
always say it's more difficult now to be
23:16
a coach than it's ever been with all the
23:17
different stuff that's going on with
23:18
NIL, transfer portal, all the thing they
23:20
have to deal with. give it give me an
23:22
example of something the public doesn't
23:23
know about that makes coaching now way
23:26
more difficult, way more complicated
23:27
than it's ever been.
23:30
>> I mean, it's a lot, man. Um, you know,
23:34
when I got into it, it was for the love
23:36
of the game and having an impact in
23:38
players lives and getting them a free
23:40
education and then teaching them life
23:42
skills and then they go off into the
23:44
world. If they go to the NFL for a
23:45
little bit, great. But go off into the
23:47
world and have a ton of success. and you
23:50
didn't have to worry about the transfer
23:51
portal. You just got to build a four to
23:54
fiveyear great relationship and then
23:57
that would carry on through the rest of
23:59
your lives. Like I'm the the I coached
24:02
at Albright College 29 years ago,
24:04
division three defense coordinator. I'm
24:07
still uber close. Like there's three of
24:09
them I texted with today. Am uber close
24:12
with them. I was the DC at Western
24:13
Carolina. I'm still close with all of
24:16
those guys because you have a fouryear
24:20
sample size with them. I was four years
24:22
at Mississippi State. I'm s super close
24:24
with those guys. They all stayed. Dak
24:26
Presto, Bernard McKenna, Chris Jones,
24:28
Preston Smith, Darius Slay. Like
24:31
nowadays,
24:33
they would get so many offers to leave
24:35
Startville because they're great
24:37
players. And I think that's happening
24:39
now. and just the relationship piece uh
24:43
is a little bit harder and the the
24:46
reasons you're in the game as a coach
24:48
and even maybe as a player, those things
24:51
have changed. Um but the relationship
24:54
piece still does matter and the coaches
24:57
still want to impart life lessons and
25:00
all those kind of things. So, it's just
25:02
figuring out that balance that somebody
25:05
that you love and care about could still
25:08
come December, hop in the porter and
25:11
then, you know, go and make
25:13
significantly more to play the game.
25:16
But, I guess if you look at it, coaches
25:18
have done that since the beginning of
25:19
time. So, now it's just going both ways.
25:22
Now,
25:24
>> a quick question. You you spent a season
25:26
with M. Brown, and that was obviously a
25:28
tough exit for him. Sure.
25:30
>> How is he doing and how is life for him
25:32
at Austin?
25:34
>> Coach, he's one of the greatest humans
25:36
in the history of humans. Like the
25:39
amount of love and respect that I have
25:40
for him um is through the roof. like he
25:44
even though I think he did really well
25:46
in the portal like getting some really
25:47
good players to come but the
25:50
relationship piece that he had with all
25:52
the players uh with all the coaches and
25:54
their families like my daughter would
25:56
come in the building and she had no
25:59
problem going to see coach Brown like
26:02
she knew that she would be welcome he'd
26:04
you know give her a hug he'd know her
26:06
name all the know her hobbies
26:09
and he's just one of the greatest humans
26:11
ever in existence And the thing that I
26:13
always think about is like you see and
26:16
and this happens everywhere. So this
26:18
isn't this isn't me talking about
26:20
Caroline at all because it happens every
26:22
single place. But there's such a level
26:25
of investment at places and then in in
26:29
your mind you're like imagine imagine if
26:33
Matt Brown had had that kind of
26:34
investment. Like you're getting Drake
26:37
Mays without that investment. You're
26:39
getting the Sam Howells without that
26:41
investment.
26:43
Imagine if M. Brown has all of that
26:46
level of investment and his Hall of Fame
26:49
his Hall of Fame self does what he does.
26:54
[clears throat] You know, again, that's
26:55
revisionist history, but just the amount
26:58
of love and respect I have for him. Um,
27:01
I y'all need to have me back on and
27:03
we'll just do an hour on me talking
27:06
about that cuz he's the absolute best.
27:08
He's doing great. Like I've got a
27:10
YouTube show, a podcast, whatever. Max's
27:13
doing that for for the University of
27:14
Texas and he's killing it and he just
27:17
looks so happy and I text with him all
27:19
the time. Sounds happy. Um and the cool
27:22
thing about him is um he invested so
27:26
much of his life in Carolina football.
27:29
It so obviously he still loves it,
27:31
right? And just the the you know him
27:34
being recognized at the basketball game,
27:36
I thought that was cool. Um, just the
27:38
the giving people the flowers that they
27:41
deserve while they're around matters and
27:45
there's not enough flowers to go around
27:47
for M. Brown because he he's the best.
27:50
There you go. Jeff Collins, the minister
27:52
of mayhem. He's been everywhere. He's
27:53
done everything, hanging out at YouTube
27:55
these days, Coach Collins show, and of
27:56
course the crowning accomplishment being
27:58
on this Tarheel Tribune podcast. Thanks
28:01
so much, coach.
28:02
>> Yes, absolutely. Appreciate you guys,
28:05
ma'am.
28:06
>> Thank you. Take care.
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