Longtime college football coach Bryan Collins dies at age 58 after Stony Brook defensive coordinator suffered a ‘heart event’
Stony Brook football defensive coordinator Bryan Collins has died aged 58 after a ‘cardiac event’, his family confirmed to News day.
The public research university, which is based in Long Island, New York, issued a statement Sunday announcing that its athletic department is “devastated by the sudden passing of our dear friend and colleague.”
“He was an elite human being on every level who was really passionate about making a difference in young people’s lives,” added athletics director 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 all who knew and loved him.”
Stony Brook football defensive coach Bryan Collins died of a ‘heart event’ aged 58
Hired by Stony Brook in 2021, Collins was promoted to 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 subsequently promoted to the team’s chief defensive coordinator in January, expressing excitement about his new role at local outlet Great Long Island later that same month.
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“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve alongside Bryan over the past few years,” Chuck Priore, Stony Brook’s head coach since 2006, said on Sunday.
“As the opposing coach, he served as a mentor, and I learned a lot working with him during our time together at Stony Brook.”
Collins “was an elite human being on every level,” Stoney Brook said in his statement on Sunday
Prior to joining Stony Brook, Collins was head coach at LIU Post from 1998 to 2021
Prior to joining Stony Brook two years ago, Collins was 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 took place between 2001 and 2018.
Collins was also recognized as the Northeast 10 Coach of the Year between 1999 and 2018.
He graduated from St. John’s University in 1987, where he played as a linebacker before the school finally dropped from the football program in 2002.
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