ULM Warhawks

Mike Collins, who returned to his alma mater as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator in January 2016, begins his fourth season on Matt Viator’s coaching staff and his ninth overall at ULM.
 
Under his guidance, the Warhawks displayed dramatic improvement on the defensive side of the football in 2018, allowing 111 fewer points (9.2 per game) than the previous season. ULM also created more negative plays, increasing its totals in tackles for loss (+30) and sacks (+13) from 2017. The Warhawks ranked second in the conference and No. 22 in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, averaging 2.8 sacks per game. In addition, ULM held three opponents under 100 rushing yards.
 
Collins also coached the Warhawk safeties in 2016-17.
 
Free safety Roland Jenkins led ULM in tackles (89) and interceptions (2) in 2017.
 
In 2016, free safety Tre’ Hunter ranked third on the team in tackles with 62.
 
Collins previously spent three seasons as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Sam Houston State (2013-15). During his tenure in Huntsville, Texas, a total of 19 defensive players earned all-conference honors, including linebacker P.J. Hall, who was named the Southland Conference’s Freshman of the Year in 2014 and became the top defensive player in balloting for the Jerry Rice Award, presented to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision’s Freshman of the Year. In 2015, Hall earned First-Team All-Southland honors.
 
From 2008-12, Collins served on Viator’s staff at McNeese State. He coached the linebackers in 2008 before being promoted to assistant head coach and defensive backs coach in 2009. Collins added the role of defensive coordinator to his list for duties for his final two seasons (2011-12).
 
During the 2007 season, he served as linebackers coach at Kilgore (Texas) High School.
 
He worked for two seasons as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator for Scott Stoker at Northwestern State from 2005-06.
 
Collins served as an intern under Nick Saban during LSU’s run to the 2003 National Championship before being named linebackers coach for the 2004 season.
 
Prior to his two-year stint at LSU, he spent five seasons at ULM (1998-2002), first as linebackers coach for Ed Zaunbrecher in 1998 then as defensive coordinator for Bobby Keasler for three-plus seasons, which ranked 31^st in the nation in total defense in 1999. Collins went 3-4 over the final seven games of the 2002 season as ULM’s interim head coach.
 
He coached linebackers under Keasler for seven seasons at McNeese State from 1991-97. During his first stint in Lake Charles, Louisiana, the Cowboys won four Southland Conference titles and made six appearances in the NCAA I-AA Playoffs, including a trip to the 1997 National Championship Game. Collins developed six players who earned All-America honors as well as three Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year recipients.
 
He began his coaching career at ULM as a graduate assistant for his father Pat Collins in 1983-84. His father led ULM (formerly Northeast Louisiana) to the 1987 NCAA I-AA National Championship.
 
Next, Collins was the Defensive Coordinator at Ouachita Parish High School for six seasons from 1985-90.
 
The Monroe, Louisiana, native became a four-year letterman as a center at ULM (1979-82), playing his first two seasons for John David Crow and his last two for his father. He earned two degrees from ULM: bachelor’s in education in 1983 and master’s in administration and education in 1984.
 
He is married to the former Terri Brinson and the couple have two sons: John Michael and Matt (assistant coach for the ULM baseball team).