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Joe Collier

For the British pharmacologist, see Joe Collier (pharmacologist).

Joe Collier
Personal information
Born:(1932-06-07)June 7, 1932
Rock Island, Illinois, U.S.
Died:May 6, 2024(2024-05-06) (aged 91)
Littleton, Colorado, U.S.
Career information
High school:Rock Island
College:Northwestern
NFL draft:1954 / round: 22 / pick: 257
Career history
As a coach:
Career highlights and awards
Head coaching record
Regular season:13–16–1 (.450)
Postseason:0–1 (.000)
Career:13–17–1 (.435)
Record at Pro Football Reference

Joel Dale Collier (June 7, 1932 – May 6, 2024) was an American professional football coach who was the head coach of the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League (AFL) from 1966 through part of 1968, compiling a 13–16–1 record. He later coached in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Northwestern Wildcats, earning first-team All-American honors in 1952 and 1953.

College career

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Collier attended Northwestern University, where he played on the Northwestern Wildcats football team. In 1952, his junior season, he broke Big Ten Conference records by catching seven touchdown passes and accumulating 650 receiving yards.[1] He was named to the 1952 College Football All-America Team.[2] Following the 1953 college football season, in which he captained the Wildcats and again earned All-American honors, Collier was selected by the New York Giants in the 22nd round of the 1954 NFL draft.[3][4][5] However, Collier decided not to play professional football, instead becoming an assistant coach at Western Illinois University after a three-year stint in the U.S. Army.[1] Collier spent three seasons as a Western Illinois assistant, from 1957 to 1959.[6]

Buffalo Bills (1962–1968)

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After spending two seasons as an assistant coach with the Boston Patriots of the brand new AFL,[7] Collier joined the Buffalo Bills in 1962 as a defensive coach. The team won the 1965 AFL Championship Game over the San Diego Chargers with help from defensive alignments that Collier designed. One idea he came up with was similar to the modern zone blitz; Collier's defense featured defensive line players moving back to cover pass attempts.[2] Collier was promoted to head coach in 1966,[3] after previous coach Lou Saban resigned.[2] The Bills' best season under Collier came in his first year, when they won the Eastern Division with a 9–4–1 record, eventually losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFL Championship Game.[8] After coming within one game of an AFL championship, the team slumped to 4–10 in 1967.[9] After a poor performance by the Bills in a 1968 pre-season game, Collier set up a scrimmage for his team. During the practice session, quarterback Jack Kemp broke his right leg, an injury that forced him to undergo season-ending surgery.[10] The Bills fired Collier after a 48–6 loss to the Oakland Raiders in the second week of the regular season.[11] Sports Illustrated opined that "Collier's fate undoubtedly was decided..." by Kemp's injury.[12]

Denver Broncos (1969–1988)

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Following his time as head coach of the Bills, Collier became a Denver Broncos coach in 1969 and spent 20 years with the team, which reached three Super Bowls with him as defensive coordinator. Collier was the architect of the Broncos' 3–4 defense in the late 1970s, a scheme that was known as the Orange Crush Defense.[13] Although he preferred to set up the Broncos' defense with four linemen, Collier occasionally organized a 3–4 defense experimentally. After an injury to Lyle Alzado early in the 1976 season, Collier used the system more regularly and improved upon it: author Terry Frei called him "the scientist in the laboratory, coming up with ways to make the defense even better."[14] After being hired by Saban, he remained the defensive coordinator for four subsequent Broncos head coaches.[15] Dan Reeves fired Collier after the 1988 NFL season.[13]

New England Patriots (1991–1992)

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From 1991 to 1992, he was defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots.[7] Collier took over a Patriots defense that had given up the second-most points in the league during a 1–15 season in 1990.[16][17] However, Collier's first year saw the Patriots defense improve from second-worst in the league (out of 28 teams) to the middle of the pack (15th). Helping the Patriots' improved rankings was the fact that their run defense, which was last in the league in 1990, improved to 9th in the league in 1991.[17][18]

The Patriots failed to build on their 1991 defensive performance,[19] as the unit finished 23rd overall during the 1992 season.[20] New England ended up 2–14, winning four fewer games than they had in 1991.[21] After his stint with the Patriots ended, Collier retired from the NFL.[2]

Personal life

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Joel Dale Collier was born in Rock Island, Illinois, on June 7, 1932.[22] He was married to Shirley Ann Ketelaar from 1957 until her death in 2006. They had three children: Joel, Julie, and Lisa.[23][24] Joel was hired in February 2009 by Kansas City Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, a former executive for the Patriots, as a defensive backs coach for Chiefs head coach Todd Haley.[25] By 2010, he was the team's assistant general manager.[23] Prior to 2009, Collier was the secondary coach of the New England Patriots. Before his stint with the Patriots, he spent 11 years as an assistant for the Miami Dolphins.[7]

Collier lived with longtime partner Sue Henry. He died in Littleton, Colorado, on May 6, 2024, at the age of 91.[26][27][28] In 2002, the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame inducted Collier.[29]

Head coaching record

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Team Year Regular Season Post Season
Won Lost Ties Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
BUF 1966 9 4 1 .692 1st in AFL East 0 1 .000 Lost to Kansas City Chiefs in AFL Championship.
BUF 1967 4 10 0 .286 3rd in AFL East – – – –
BUF 1968 0 2 0 .000 5th in AFL East – – – –
BUF Total 13 16 1 .448 0 1 .000 –
AFL Total[30] 13 16 1 .448 0 1 .000 –
Total 13 16 1 .448 0 1 .000 –

References

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  1. ^ a b "Joe Collier Profile". Northwestern University. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved August 20, 2008.
  2. ^ a b c d Maxymuk, John (2012). NFL Head Coaches: A Biographical Dictionary, 1920–2011. McFarland & Company. pp. 48–49. ISBN 9780786492954.
  3. ^ a b "Bills Name Joel Collier Head Coach". St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. January 7, 1966. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  4. ^ ESPN College Football Encyclopedia. ESPN Books. 2005. p. 1232. ISBN 978-1-4013-3703-2.
  5. ^ "1954 NFL Player Draft". Database Football. Archived from the original on December 31, 2008. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
  6. ^ Frei, Terry (2009). 77: Denver, The Broncos, and a Coming of Age. Taylor Trade Publishing. p. 320. ISBN 9781589794511.
  7. ^ a b c "Joel Collier – Secondary". New England Patriots. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  8. ^ "1966 Buffalo Bills". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved August 20, 2008.
  9. ^ "1967 Buffalo Bills". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved August 20, 2008.
  10. ^ Maule, Tex; Shrake, Edwin (September 16, 1968). "Eastern Division". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on July 20, 2012. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  11. ^ "Owner Regrets The Firing Of Collier". The Miami News. Associated Press. September 16, 1968. Retrieved August 13, 2011.[permanent dead link‍]
  12. ^ "A Roundup Of The Sports Information Of The Week". Sports Illustrated. September 23, 1968. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  13. ^ a b "Broncos Dismiss Collier". The New York Times. Associated Press. December 19, 1988. Retrieved August 20, 2008.
  14. ^ Frei, p. 21.
  15. ^ Gustkey, Earl (November 1, 1986). "He Puts the D in Denver: Joe Collier Has Been Bronco Defensive Coordinator for 18 Seasons, 5 Head Coaches". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  16. ^ Borges, Ron (July 12, 1991). "After being out of football for two years, Patriots defensive coordinator Joe Collier is ... Restarting at the bottom". The Boston Globe. ProQuest 294607643.
  17. ^ a b "1990 NFL Opposition & Defensive Statistics". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  18. ^ "1991 NFL Opposition & Defensive Statistics". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  19. ^ Cerasuolo, Dick (October 18, 1992). "Opponents have Patriots on run". Telegram & Gazette. p. D6.
  20. ^ "1992 NFL Opposition & Defensive Statistics". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  21. ^ "Boston/New England Patriots Franchise Encyclopedia". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  22. ^ Miller, Jeffrey J. (2007). Rockin' the Rockpile: The Buffalo Bills of the American Football League. ECW Press. p. 535. ISBN 978-1-55022-797-0.
  23. ^ a b Frei, Terry (November 11, 2010). "Architect of "Orange Crush" defense proud of son's accomplishments". The Denver Post. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  24. ^ "Shirley A. Collier: 1935 – 2006". Quad-City Times. Legacy.com. October 1, 2006. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  25. ^ "Chiefs retain offensive coordinator Chan Gailey as Haley fills staff". USA Today. Associated Press. February 17, 2009. Retrieved May 2, 2009.
  26. ^ DiLalla, Aric (May 7, 2024). "Broncos mourn passing of legendary DC Joe Collier". www.denverbroncos.com. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  27. ^ Tomasson, Chris (May 7, 2024). "Broncos legendary defensive coordinator Joe Collier dies at age 91". The Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  28. ^ DeArdo, Bryan (May 7, 2024). "Joe Collier, former Broncos defensive coordinator and leader of famed 'Orange Crush' unit, dies at age 91". CBS Sports. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  29. ^ Moss, Irv. "Joe Collier". The Denver Post. Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
  30. ^ "Joe Collier". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
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