Bryan Collins, Stony Brook football defensive coordinator and former LIU Post head coach, dies at 58

Stony Brook football defensive coordinator Bryan Collins has died at the age of 58 after suffering a ‘cardiac event,’ his family confirmed to Newsday. 

The public research university, which is located in Long Island, New York, released a statement on Sunday announcing that it’s athletics department ‘is devastated by the sudden passing our dear friend and colleague.

‘He was an elite human being on every level who was truly passionate about making a difference in the lives of young people,’ added Director of Athletics Shaw Heilborn.

‘Everyone who knew Bryan loved him, and he always returned that love right back. He was a legendary coach and administrator but his greatest legacy will always be as a kind, caring soul. 

‘My thoughts are with his wife Patti, children Tyler and Meg, and everyone who knew and loved him.’

Collins was hired by Stony Brook in 2021 and was promoted as defensive assistant in January

Stony Brook University, located in Long Island, New York, released a statement on Sunday

Collins was hired by Stony Brook in 2021. He was then promoted as the team’s main defensive coordinator in January, expressing his excitement for his new role to local outlet Great Long Island later that same month. 

Follow MailSport on Threads here: https://www.threads.net/@mailsport

‘It has been an honor and a privilege to serve alongside Bryan over the past couple of years,’ Chuck Priore, Stony Brook’s head coach since 2006, said on Sunday. 

‘As an opposing coach, he served as a mentor, and I have learned a great deal from working with him during our time together at Stony Brook.’ 

Collins ‘was an elite human being on every level,’ Stoney Brook said in its statement on Sunday

Prior to joining Stony Brook, Collins served as the head coach at LIU Post from 1998 until 2021

Before joining Stony Brook two years ago, Collins had served as the head coach at LIU Post from 1998 until his resignation in 2021.

He was LIU’s winningest coach with 162 wins and also led the university to six NCAA Tournament appearances and eight Northeast 10 Conference championships, which occurred between 2001 through 2018. 

Collins was also recognized as the Northeast 10 Coach of the Year between 1999 and 2018. 

He was a graduate from St. John’s University in 1987, where he played as a linebacker before the school eventually got rid of its football program in 2002.

Follow MailSport on Threads here: https://www.threads.net/@mailsport