Collett in fifth year on EMU staff
Jeff Collett is in his fifth year on the Eastern Michigan University football program’s staff. Collett is a Paintsville High School graduate. Photo courtesy of Eastern Michigan University Athletics
STAFF REPORT
BSN
YPSILANTI, Mich. — Paintsville native Jeff Collett is in his fifth year on the Eastern Michigan University football program’s staff.
Collett is Eastern Michigan University’s Associate AD for Operations and Recruiting.
A Paintsville High School graduate, Collett came to Eastern Michigan University after spending six seasons on Centre College football program’s staff.
Up until 2022, Collett was Eastern Michigan University’s Director of Recruiting Operations and Player Personnel.
Collett served as the Colonels’ defensive line coach after joining Centre College’s staff in 2013. In 2016, he added recruiting coordinator responsibilities.
Under Collett’s leadership, Centre’s defensive line had tremendous success both as a group and individually. In 2018, the Colonels finished 10-2 after reaching the “Sweet 16” of the NCAA Division III Football Playoffs. The Colonels won the 2018 South Athletic Association (SAA) Championship with a 7-1 mark. The squad finished the 2018 season ranked 14th in the D3football.com Top 25 and No. 15 in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Top 25 Poll.
During the 2017 campaign, Collett’s D-line helped the Colonels finish second in the SAA in tackles-for-loss per game. Individually, All-SAA selection Zach Berger led Centre and was fourth in the SAA with six sacks on the season, finishing with 24 tackles and eight tackles for losses.
In 2016, Collett helped Ben Bostick finish his career as a two-time All-SAA selection while adding a CoSIDA Academic All-District nod.
In 2014, the defensive line helped the Centre defense lead the SAA in takeaways and fewest points allowed. The unit helped improve in national defensive rankings in 2014, moving from 106th in rush defense to 47th, only allowing 127 yards per game. Four members of the Centre defensive line received postseason honors for their efforts in the 2014 season.
In addition, several Centre defensive linemen earned postseason recognition in 2013.
A 2010 Centre graduate, Collett earned All-SCAC honors in 2009 as a punter and won Centre’s Homer Rice Special Teams Player of the Year Award in both 2008 and 2009. While kicking for the Colonels, Collett won the Hammer Award four times, multiple SCAC Special Teams Player of the Week honors and once earned the D3football.com National Special Teams Player of the Week Award.
Collett earned his bachelor of science degree in Biology from Centre in 2010 and also holds a master of arts degree in teaching from the University of the Cumberlands (2012). Prior to coaching at Centre, Collett spent three years teaching at Woodford County High School in Versailles, where he coached football and was also the head strength and conditioning coordinator.
Collett is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.