Geoff Collins did well in two seasons at Temple but was unable to get any traction building his program at Georgia Tech after taking over for option guru Paul Johnson at the end of 2018. Georgia Tech fired Collins on Monday.

Sitting in Atlanta in the middle of a recruiting hotbed, in a conference that isn’t as stacked as the SEC, has long made the Georgia Tech job an intriguing one for many coaches. However, Collins had a strong reputation as a recruiter and really hustled to try and build Georgia Tech’s brand. He just couldn’t get things going there as most of the top local talent went (and is going) elsewhere.

Georgia Tech is also parting ways with athletic director Todd Stansbury, which will only make the search process trickier.

Just how committed to competing in football is Tech going to be moving forward? That will likely be a big question several top candidates are going to have. Right now, it doesn’t appear that such a commitment exists, according to Tech sources, and that will likely need to change to avoid the pool of candidates becoming much thinner.

Head coaches to watch

Deion Sanders, Jackson State

Let’s start with the biggest name in the mix by a mile. The 55-year old is 15-2 the past two seasons at FCS Jackson State and he was honored with the Eddie Robinson Award as the season’s top FCS head coach. He’s upgraded that roster dramatically and gobbled up big-name recruits who probably never would’ve thought of going to Jackson State. Last December, he pulled off the biggest recruiting win perhaps in the history of the sport when he get five-star athlete Travis Hunter to flip from Florida State.

Sanders’ name carries a ton of weight, especially in the Deep South. He would get recruits and their families to pay attention if the former Falcons and Braves star returned to Atlanta. He’s also proven he can get results on the field as well in the past couple of seasons. Folks who have worked with Sanders rave about his work ethic and his ability to connect with people. Four months ago, it seemed like there was a chance Sanders might be in play to take over down the road at his alma mater Florida State, but with how well Mike Norvell has things going in Tallahassee, Georgia Tech seems a likelier destination — although Auburn might also get in the running for his services before too long.