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Temple coach Geoff Collins meets a second time with Georgia Tech about its coaching job

A Georgia native, Collins had two stints on the Georgia Tech staff.

Geoff Collins (left) is in his second season with Temple.
Geoff Collins (left) is in his second season with Temple.Read moreTim Tai/Staff Photographer

Temple football coach Geoff Collins has met with Georgia Tech about its head coaching job twice, which opened when Paul Johnson resigned last week, an Owls source confirmed.

A report by OwlsDaily said that Collins met with Georgia Tech athletic director Todd Stansbury on Wednesday in New York to discuss the Yellow Jackets job. Both were in New York for the College Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony Tuesday.

A source confirmed to the Inquirer and Daily News that the two had met in New York. Another source said they met again on Thursday in Georgia as well.

Collins had two coaching stints at Georgia Tech and is a Georgia native. He was a graduate assistant at Tech from 1999-2000 and a tight ends coach in 2001. He returned for one season in 2006 as director of player personnel.

The early favorite for the Georgia Tech job had been Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt. a former player at the school. According to ESPN, Whisenhunt has removed his name from consideration.

A person familiar with Georgia Tech’s recruiting said the school has a list of about eight candidates, including Collins. Yahoo Sports listed Collins as the favorite.

Complicating things is that Temple has an official visit this weekend for players who have committed to or are considering the Owls. Several players are scheduled to visit, a Temple source said.

Collins, 47, is in his second season as Owls coach, his first head-coaching job at any level. The Owls are 8-4 and finished second in the American Athletic Conference East Division with a 7-1 mark, one game behind Central Florida. Temple will meet Duke on Dec. 27 in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La.

Asked about the Georgia Tech situation during a conference call Sunday, Collins replied, “It’s the same thing with injuries, I don’t talk about that stuff. I love being at Temple, love coaching these amazing young men, and so happy to coach them.”