CMU football loses second assistant coach in two months
Central Michigan defensive backs coach Archie Collins has been named to the University of Pittsburgh coaching staff.
Collins’ position will be announced in the future by Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi. He was hired at the 10th assistant coach.
"Archie is a fantastic coach and highly driven recruiter," Narduzzi said in a press release. "We wanted our 10th assistant coach appointment to be an impactful hire and we achieved that by bringing Archie to Pitt. I first met him when he was a high school coach in Detroit and later I had him as a graduate assistant. Archie went on to do really exceptional work at Central Michigan and he'll be a great asset for our entire program. I'm thrilled to welcome him and his family to Pitt."
The 2017 campaign was Collins’ fifth season with CMU. He helped CMU lead the Mid-American Conference with 19 interceptions, 185.5 passing yards per game and a 108.8 defensive pass efficiency rating.
"I'm incredibly honored to join Pat Narduzzi and his staff at the University of Pittsburgh," Collins said. "It really is the best of both worlds: an outstanding academic institution with a rich football tradition to match. I'm very familiar with Coach Narduzzi, the way he teaches and his goals for our players. We will play with toughness, effort and knowledge to win championships. I'm thrilled to get right to work."
The Chippewas were sixth in the Division I FBS in defensive pass efficiency in 2017, along with ranking seventh in interceptions and 20th in overall pass defense.
Prior to his time in Mount Pleasant, Collins assisted with the defensive backs and special teams under head coach Mark Dantonio at Michigan State from 2010-12. He also coached at three high schools in the Detroit Public School League – Cass Tech, Mackenzie and Southeastern.
Collins interviewed for Michigan State’s defensive backs coaching position. Instead of picking Collins, the Spartans went with former Kent State head coach Paul Haynes.
The former Chippewa coach played for Michigan State in the 1996 and 1997 seasons.
