I’ve been a huge homer for Collins the last 2 seasons. Love the energy, the love of GT and Atlanta, he’s a local guy, etc. I’ve tried to give him some cover with the “scrimmage“ seasons rhetoric even though elementary coaching mistakes were being made every week. This year should have been different but it’s not because he just isn’t a good game day coach and it’s obvious not much development is taking place. Those who say Sims is getting better are accurate. But it’s not due to coaching, it’s due to natural progression of an athlete getting playing time. What we see from Sims is a kid who is better because he is playing, so naturally he’s going to get more comfortable and use to game speed. If he was getting any coaching at all he would be way beyond where he is now after getting double digit starts.
A random thing I saw from Collins this week which speaks volumes is on a UVA pass play where the WR caught it and our DB pushed him back 5 yards and Collins is pleading with the ref to spot it at the point where he hit the ground and not 5 yards upfield where his progress was stopped. It’s like he doesn’t even know the rules. In fairness (although it just may have been the TV angle) I didn’t notice him fighting ball boys for the ball to hand to the ref this week. I like the guy, but I’ve never seen high school coaches do the goofy stuff he does on the sideline. He does everything except actually coach. Most coaches are already thinking of the next play before the ball is even snapped on the current play. Collins from what we see is almost like a fan. The play is over, he argues about a spot or fiddles with the ball or dabs everyone up all while the next play clock has started and then he thinks, oh, it’s 2nd and 5. Did y’all notice when he was yelling to the team that it was 4th down. What kind of head coach has to tell his grown arse players what down it is instead of matching wits with the opposing coach. If we were improving I could laugh this off as just his goofiness, but if he does this during games I can only imagine what team practices are like.