Danny Collins - Defensive Coordinator / Safeties - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Danny Collins

Title:
Defensive Coordinator / Safeties

NOTABLE:

- The 2026 season will be the tenth at Minnesota, second as defensive coordinator, fifth coaching the safeties and his 14th year with Fleck.
- Coached All-Americans Tyler Nubin (First Team, 2023) and Koi Perich (Second Team, 2024) at Minnesota and has coached two Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award semifinalists in Perich and Kerry Brown in 2024.
- Has coached two NFL draft picks at Minnesota in Nubin (New York Giants) and Jordan Howden (New Orleans Saints)
- In 2025, Minnesota's defense tied for sixth in the nation with 3.0 sacks per game and was 11th in the nation with 7.1 tackles per loss per game.
- Helped Minnesota's defense rank fifth in the nation in total defense in 2024, seventh in team passing efficient defense and ninth in scoring defense.
- Helped Minnesota’s defense rank eighth in the nation in 2022 in total defense, fourth in scoring defense, seventh in team passing efficiency defense and 15th in rushing defense

- Helped Minnesota’s defense rank third in the nation in 2021 in total defense, tie for sixth in scoring defense and rank eighth in rushing defense
- Called the defense in Minnesota's 30-24 win against Bowling Green in the 2023 Quick Lane Bowl
- Served as interim defensive backs coach for Minnesota's 34-10 win against Georgia Tech in the 2018 Quick Lane Bowl

Danny Collins was promoted to defensive coordinator in January 2025. He continues to coach the safeties in this role.

The 2026 season will be the tenth at Minnesota for Collins. It will be his second as defensive coordinator, his fifth coaching the safeties and his 14th year with Fleck.

Collins was named safeties coach in January 2022 and added the title of defensive pass game coordinator prior to the 2023 season. Collins has been a member of the Minnesota staff since 2017 and has served in several roles for the Gophers.

He came to Minnesota with Fleck in 2017 and served as the team’s defensive quality control. He was a graduate assistant in 2018 before returning to quality control in 2019. In 2020, he was named Senior Defensive Analyst before being promoted to safeties coach in 2022.

At Minnesota, Collins has coached All-Americans Tyler Nubin and Koi Perich and has seen two of his safeties – Nubin (New York Giants) and Jordan Howden (New Orleans Saints) – drafted into the NFL.

Prior to calling the defense full-time in 2025, Collins called the defense in Minnesota’s 2023 Quick Lane Bowl win against Bowling Green.

In 2025, under the leadership of Collins, Minnesota pressured and hit the opposing quarterback at historic rates. The Gophers tied for sixth in the nation with 3.0 sacks per game and the team's 39 sacks (11 more than the team's 28 in 2024) were the most by a Minnesota defense since the team set a school record with 45 in 1999. The 39 sacks tied for the third most in school single-season history being only 1999 (45 sacks) and 1997 (41 sacks). The Gophers also recorded 39 sacks in 1998.

Minnesota also ranked 11th in the nation with 7.1 tackles for loss per game, and leading the way was All-Big Ten First Team performer Anthony Smith. Smith had 17.5 tackles for loss and a Big Ten leading 12.5 sacks, as he became the first Gopher since Karon Riley had 13.0 sacks in 2000 to lead the conference in sacks.

Karter Menz emerged as a force on the line, as he totaled 6.5 sacks, while Jaxon Howard added 4.0 sacks. Deven Eastern was a run-stuffer in the middle and added 5.0 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.

Linebackers Maverick Baranowski and Devon Williams led the way in tackles, with 103 and 89, respectively. Baranowski became the first Gopher to record more than 100 tackles in a season since Blake Cashman had 104 in 2018.

Defensive back John Nestor had 50 tackles, six interceptions, six pass breakups and one fumble recovery. His six interceptions tied for the most in the Big Ten and tied for the third-most in program history. Kerry Brown added 56 tackles, four pass breakups and two interceptions.

In 2024, the team ranked fifth in the nation in total defense, seventh in team passing efficiency defense and ninth in scoring defense. Collins mentored Kerry Brown and Koi Perich, who were both named Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award Semifinalists. Brown would end the season with 63 tackles, four pass breakups and two tackles. Perich made 46 tackles and had five interceptions as he was named an All-American by Sporting News and was named All-Big Ten First Team (first Gopher freshman to be named All-Big Ten First Team since running back Darrell Thompson in 1986).

In 2023, Collins mentored First Team All-American safety Tyler Nubin. Nubin tied for second on the team with 53 tackles and added one sack. He also forced one fumble and recovered one fumble. Nubin also broke up four passes and led the team with five interceptions. He ended his Minnesota career with 13 interceptions, which is the most in school history. Nubin was drafted in the second round by the New York Giants in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Collins also mentored Darius Green and Jack Henderson. Green started the first 11 games of the season before missing the final two with an injury, but he ended the year with 51 tackles, three tackles for loss and one pass breakup as he stepped into a starting role. Henderson, who transferred from Southeastern Louisiana prior to the season, led the Gophers with 59 tackles on the season. He also added five tackles for loss, one sack and two interceptions.

Collins also prepared Coleman Bryson and Kerry Brown to start at safety in the Quick Lane Bowl. The duo responded by each making five tackles in the contest, as Collins called the defense in the win.

The 2022 season saw Minnesota's defense rank eighth in the nation in 2022 in total defense at 294.7 yards per game, fourth in scoring defense at 13.85 points per game, seventh in team passing efficiency defense at 109.46 and 15th in rush defense at 109 yards per game. Nubin and fellow safety Jordan Howden helped lead a defense that gave up only 13.85 points per game. Howden finished third on the team with 58 tackles and Nubin ended the year with 55. Howden was drafted in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints with the 146th overall pick.

Bryson started at safety in the Pinstripe Bowl and made seven tackles, broke up one pass and returned one interception 70 yards for a touchdown against Syracuse to earn MVP honors.

His input and expertise helped Minnesota’s defense post historic numbers in 2021. The Gophers ranked third in the nation in total defense at 278.8 yards per game, tied for sixth in the NCAA in scoring defense at 17.31 points per game and ranked eighth in the nation in rushing defense at 97.5 yards per game.

Collins was in quality control in his first season in Minnesota in 2017, as he worked with the defensive coaching staff. In 2018, he transitioned to a graduate assistant position for the season and was then named interim defensive backs coach for Minnesota's 34-10 win against Georgia Tech in the Quick Lane Bowl. With Collins coaching the secondary, Minnesota held Georgia Tech to just 77 passing yards and 283 total yards.

Collins moved back to quality control in 2019 and again worked on the defensive side of the ball. He was thrust into on-field coaching duties again at the Outback Bowl and was the interim defensive line coach. Minnesota thwarted Auburn's potent rushing attack and limited the Tigers to a season-low 56 rushing yards on 26 carries. The Gophers notched two sacks in the 31-24 win, and both came from the Collins-led defensive line.

Prior to his time at Minnesota, Collins was a defensive graduate assistant from 2015-17 at Western Michigan, which is also where he attended college.

Collins worked with the Bronco football department in various roles starting in 2012 and then graduated with a degree in general studies in 2014 from Western Michigan. He also worked with the defense in quality control at Western Michigan and was also a student-assistant linebacker coach and a student-assistant quarterback coach. He earned his master's degree in sport management in 2016 from Western Michigan.

COLLINS AT A GLANCE

Coaching Experience
2025-present: Minnesota - Defensive Coordinator / Safeties
2023-25: Minnesota - Safeties / Defensive Pass Game Coordinator
2022: Minnesota - Safeties
2020-21: Minnesota - Senior Defensive Analyst
2019: Minnesota - Quality Control
2018: Minnesota - Graduate Assistant
2017: Minnesota - Quality Control
2015-16: Western Michigan - Defensive Graduate Assistant

Bowls Coached
2025 Rate Bowl (Minnesota)
2025 Duke's Mayo Bowl (Minnesota)
2023 Quick Lane Bowl (Minnesota)
2022 Pinstripe Bowl (Minnesota)
2021 Guaranteed Rate Bowl (Minnesota)
2020 Outback Bowl (Minnesota)
2018 Quick Lane Bowl (Minnesota)
2017 Cotton Bowl (Western Michigan)
2015 Bahamas Bowl (Western Michigan)

Players Drafted
2024: S Tyler Nubin (Round 2, Pick 47, New York Giants)
2023: S Jordan Howden (Round 5, Pick 146, New Orleans)

Birthday: May 15, 1992
Hometown: Oak Lawn, Illinois
High School: Saint Rita, 2010
Alma Mater: Western Michigan, 2014 (general studies), Western Michigan, 2016 (master's degree in sport management)

Wife: Maria

Son: Rocky