Feb. 9, 2010
ATLANTA – Pending Institute approval, Andy McCollum, a veteran coach with nearly 30 years of college coaching experience, will be named to the Georgia Tech staff as defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator.
“We will be happy to have a coach with the experience and knowledge that Andy will bring to our program,” Johnson said. “I have coached against and recruited against him for a long time, and I am confident he will do an outstanding job here at Tech.”
McCollum comes to The Flats after serving three seasons as linebackers coach at NC State, where he was a part of Wolfpack head coach Tom O’Brien’s initial coaching staff. NC State, which comes back on the Yellow Jacket schedule this fall for the first time since 2006, participated in the 2008 Papajohns.com Bowl.
Prior to his tenure at NC State, McCollum spent one season in the NFL as an advance scout for the Tennessee Titans in 2006.
“I am excited to be a part of a great coaching staff and to work with Coach Johnson,” McCollum said. “It’s a great opportunity to come back home to Georgia and work at an outstanding school.
“I’m also excited about continuing the relationships within the state that I have developed over the years. Without question, some of the best high school football programs are in the state of Georgia.”
McCollum served as head coach at Middle Tennessee State for seven seasons (1999-2005), helping the Blue Raider program make the transition from a struggling I-AA squad to a successful I-A program that competed against BCS opponents 24 times during his tenure. MTSU, which also appears on the Tech schedule this fall, set 84 school records with McCollum at the helm. In 2000, McCollum led the Blue Raiders to a 6-5 record, their first winning record as a I-A program, including back-to-back wins over Connecticut and South Florida by a combined score of 111-19.
His 2001 MTSU squad finished 8-3, won the Sun Belt Conference championship, and ranked fifth nationally in offense. In 2005, the Blue Raider defense ranked ninth nationally. In 2002, 2004 and 2005 he brought in what were considered the top recruiting classes in the Sun Belt Conference. McCollum was named Coach of the Year by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association in 2000 and 2001.
From 1994 to 1998, McCollum worked at Baylor in a variety of roles. In 1995 and 1996 he served as associate head coach, defensive coordinator and coach of the special teams. In ’94, the Bears participated in the Alamo Bowl. In 1995, the Bear defense ranked fifth nationally in total defense, fifth in pass defense and ninth in scoring defense.
From 1989 to 1993, McCollum worked as an assistant coach at UTEP. He coached the Miners’ wide receivers and special teams in 1989 before moving over to defense to coach the linebackers and special teams from 1990-93.
From 1981 to 1988, McCollum was an assistant coach at Middle Tennessee State. In 1984 and 1985 the Blue Raiders advanced to the Division I-AA playoffs.
Before embarking on a coaching career, McCollum was a four-year starter (offensive guard and tight end) at Austin Peay State from 1977 to 1980. He led the Governors in receptions in 1979 and was a starter on the ’77 Ohio Valley Conference championship team.
McCollum earned his undergraduate degree from Austin Peay State in 1981, and his master’s from Middle Tennessee State in 1983.
McCollum was born (March 1, 1959) in Marietta (Ga.), where he played football at Marietta High School. McCollum and wife, Gwen, have two children: Drew and Andrea.
