Five years ago, Collin Geier was a graduate assistant just beginning his coaching journey.
Sources tell FootballScoop that is about to change, as the 27-year old inside linebackers coach at Eastern Illinois is set to rise to defensive coordinator for the Panthers.
2023 marked the fourth season for Geier on the EIU coaching staff, rejoining the program under head coach Chris Wilkerson's direction in February of 2022.
Before joining Wilkerson's staff, Geier was a defensive analyst in the SEC with the Arkansas Razorbacks in 2021. In Fayetteville, he worked with a linebacker group that saw three players eclipse 100 tackles during a 9-4 campaign.
Geier spent two seasons as a graduate assistant on the defensive side of the ball prior to Wilkerson's arrival at EIU in 2019 and 2020, working with the linebackers and safeties while also aiding with some special teams scouting work under former head coach Adam Cushing.
In addition to those experience, Geier also previously served as a graduate assistant at Central Methodist (D-II - OK) and spent a season as a student assistant at Missouri in 2018.
He steps in to the play caller role for the first time taking over a team that finished 8-3 last season and just signed 16 players yesterday during the early signing day.
Eastern Illinois will have a new offensive coordinator as well next fall, as Kyle Derickson steps into the role he previously held at University of Chicago under Wilkerson following the departure of Joe Davis for the head coaching job at Western Illinois (FCS).
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.