Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1454229
1 6 M A R C H 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M In January, Penn State lost special teams coach Joe Lorig to Oregon. A native of the Seattle area, Lorig was eager to return to the Pacific Northwest after stops at Penn State and Mem- phis. When it came time to find a replacement, coach James Franklin went looking in the same part of the country that produced Lorig, hiring Stacy Collins away from Boise State to take charge of the Nittany Li- ons' special teams, outside line- backers and nickel backs. A graduate of Western Or- egon, Collins has spent most of his 24-year coaching career west of the Rockies, including five years at Utah State before his lone season in Boise. While he's new to the North- east and the Big Ten, he's ex- cited about the opportunity to oversee the Nittany Lions' kick- ing game. QUESTION: What made Penn State an appealing place for you to come coach special teams? COLLINS: "Just the leadership under Coach Franklin. I've followed his career from afar. I'm a Division II guy myself. I started there, was a Division II head coach [at the South Dakota School of Mines from 2012-15]. How he handles himself, how he treats his players, that's evident from watching him in multiple settings. "And along with that, it's Penn State. It's one of the true blueblood programs. Growing up watching Penn State football, for me this is an exciting opportunity on both of those ends." QUESTION: What do you know so far about the kickers and punters you've inherited at PSU? COLLINS: "I had an opportunity right away when I got hired to jump on FaceTime and spend some time talking to them. I got a chance to spend time with their parents right away and get to know them. I've had a chance to watch a decent amount of tape. "We're on the road quite a bit in Jan- uary, but I've gotten a chance to know them, and I'll get the opportunity to go through spring and get to see them in a more true setting — not just how they kick, punt or snap, but what their makeup is, what makes them tick, how they learn." QUESTION: Did you have a chance to talk to outgoing special teams coach Joe Lorig before you took this job? COLLINS: "Absolutely, Joe and I played together at Western Oregon, we were graduate assistants together at Western Oregon and we worked together at Idaho State. There's a lot of overlap. "We're friends, and in this coaching profession, special teams is a small world. We've exchanged ideas, thoughts. There will be a lot of things that will be similar in a lot of ways. "I certainly did talk to Joe, and he had nothing but unbelievable things to say about Penn State, Coach Franklin, this staff and this area." QUESTION: Is there a specific area within special teams that you hang your hat on, an area that you prioritize? COLLINS: "My background is in edu- cation, and to me, coaching is all about teaching. We're going to hang our hat on being great teachers. " T h e ga m e o f fo o t b a l l c h a n ge s. T h e sc h e m a t i c s change, and the teaching pro- gressions are the key to it. We've been extremely aggressive in our punt-block and punt-re- turn schemes over the years, but you've got to factor that into what the strength of the team is. "There are years where we've led the nation in kick return, but sometimes you don't have guys with that skill set. There are years where you're unbelievable on field goals, and years where you're not in that situation." QUESTION: What are you looking for in a high school spe- cialist that would make him a candidate for a scholarship, as opposed to someone who might receive an invitation to join the program as a preferred walk- on? COLLINS: "It's similar to a baseball pitcher. You can throw in the 90s or you can't. Does that ball jump off his foot the way it needs to jump off his foot? There are really only a handful of guys throughout the nation — and quite frankly throughout the world — who have that elite status. That's what you're looking to get. "What you're really looking for when you offer a scholarship right away is elite talent. Then you've got to find that mental mindset. Can he kick in front of 107,000 people? Can he punt it in those situations when the game is truly on the line?" QUESTION: What is your mission statement as a special teams coach? COLLINS: "We want to be able to change the game throughout the special teams [units]. We want to develop play- ers on and off the field who can change the game in all facets and get the hidden yardage that's out there. "We want to do that by being funda- mentally and technically sound, doing it with great energy, having fun while we're doing it, and making plays." ■ Sitting Down With … Special Teams Coordinator Stacy Collins Before being hired by Penn State in January, Collins served as special teams coordinator and edge coach at Boise State. During his 24-year career, he has been a head coach, defen- sive coordinator and special teams coordinator. PENN STATE ATHLETICS