Jacksonville Jaguars

Jaguars hire Mark Collins to coach linebackers

Published Jan. 26, 2017 3:37 p.m. ET

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- The Jacksonville Jaguars have hired Mark Collins as linebackers coach.

Collins, entering his 18th year as a coach and eighth in the NFL, joins the Jaguars after a two-year stint as the outside linebackers coach with the New York Jets.

Collins also spent four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons (2010-14). Before that, Collins worked 11 years at the collegiate level, with stops at Louisiana-Monroe, Georgia, Georgia Southern, Elon, Michigan and at his alma mater, East Tennessee State.

Jaguars executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin says Collins' "aggressive, takeaway-focused mentality will be an invaluable asset to our organization as we look to establish a winning attitude."

Collins inherits a linebacker group that includes veteran Paul Posluszny, Telvin Smith and Myles Jack.