Colorado State University Athletics
Football
Summers, Tyson
Tyson Summers
- Title:
- Defensive Coordinator
Tyson Summers returned to Colorado State in January 2025 as Colorado State's defensive coordinator. It is Summers second stint as the team’s defensive leader, formerly serving in the role in the 2015 season for Mike Bobo.
Summers came to Colorado State from Western Kentucky, where he was the Hilltoppers’ defensive coordinator for three seasons. His units ranked near the top of the Conference USA statistics all three campaigns in terms of scoring defense and ranked in the top half of the conference in pass defense, leading the league in 2024 by allowing just 176.1 yards per game.
During the 2022 and 2023 seasons, the Hilltoppers led the nation in defensive touchdowns, scoring nine times. Summers' units also had a penchant for creating turnovers those two years with 58 combined, leading the country in 2022 and ranking seventh in 2023. WKU’s defense forced 20 turnovers in 2024, 10 each for interceptions and fumbles recovered. In 2022, Summers was a candidate for the Broyles Award, presented annually to the top assistant in the nation.
Summers spent one season with Colorado State in 2014 as the defensive coordinator before earning the head coach position at Georgia Southern, a position he held for two seasons. He spent the 2018 season as a defensive quality control coach at Georgia, then became Colorado’s defensive coordinator from 2019-2020. He was a defensive analyst at Florida in 2021 before heading to Western Kentucky.
Prior to his first stint in Fort Collins he was the linebackers and defensive coordinator at UCF for three seasons, posting a 31-9 record. Summers was the linebackers coach for two seasons before being named defensive coordinator for the 2014 campaign.
Summers joined the UCF staff after coaching at UAB from 2007-11, where he served as the linebackers coach during his first four years before transitioning to safeties and co-special teams coordinator during his final season in Birmingham.
Prior to his time at UAB, Summers spent short stints in the college coaching ranks at Georgia Southern, Georgia, Troy and his alma mater Presbyterian.
Personal Information
Hometown: Tifton, Ga.
Family: Wife – Beth / Children – Jake, Walker, Anderson
Education: Presbyterian College, 2002 (Bachelor's)
Birthday: April 11
Summers Experience
2025-Present: Colorado State (Defensive Coordinator)
2022-24: Western Kentucky (Defensive Coordinator)
2021: Florida (Analyst – Secondary)
2019-20: Colorado (Defensive Coordinator / Safeties, 2019; Defensive Coordinator / Inside Linebackers, 2020)
2018: Georgia (Quality Control – Secondary)
2016-17: Georgia Southern (Head Coach)
2015: Colorado State (Defensive Coordinator / Safeties)
2012-14: UCF (Linebackers, 2012-13; Defensive Coordinator, 2014)
2007-11: UAB (Linebackers, 2007-10; Safeties / Co-Special Teams Coordinator, 2011)
2006: Georgia Southern (Safeties)
2005: Georgia (Graduate Assistant – Safeties)
2004: Troy (Graduate Assistant – Wide Receivers)
2003: Presbyterian (Defensive Backs)
2002: Tift County HS (Defensive Backs)
Playing Career (Linebacker)
College: Presbyterian (1998-2001)
Summers came to Colorado State from Western Kentucky, where he was the Hilltoppers’ defensive coordinator for three seasons. His units ranked near the top of the Conference USA statistics all three campaigns in terms of scoring defense and ranked in the top half of the conference in pass defense, leading the league in 2024 by allowing just 176.1 yards per game.
During the 2022 and 2023 seasons, the Hilltoppers led the nation in defensive touchdowns, scoring nine times. Summers' units also had a penchant for creating turnovers those two years with 58 combined, leading the country in 2022 and ranking seventh in 2023. WKU’s defense forced 20 turnovers in 2024, 10 each for interceptions and fumbles recovered. In 2022, Summers was a candidate for the Broyles Award, presented annually to the top assistant in the nation.
Summers spent one season with Colorado State in 2014 as the defensive coordinator before earning the head coach position at Georgia Southern, a position he held for two seasons. He spent the 2018 season as a defensive quality control coach at Georgia, then became Colorado’s defensive coordinator from 2019-2020. He was a defensive analyst at Florida in 2021 before heading to Western Kentucky.
Prior to his first stint in Fort Collins he was the linebackers and defensive coordinator at UCF for three seasons, posting a 31-9 record. Summers was the linebackers coach for two seasons before being named defensive coordinator for the 2014 campaign.
Summers joined the UCF staff after coaching at UAB from 2007-11, where he served as the linebackers coach during his first four years before transitioning to safeties and co-special teams coordinator during his final season in Birmingham.
Prior to his time at UAB, Summers spent short stints in the college coaching ranks at Georgia Southern, Georgia, Troy and his alma mater Presbyterian.
Personal Information
Hometown: Tifton, Ga.
Family: Wife – Beth / Children – Jake, Walker, Anderson
Education: Presbyterian College, 2002 (Bachelor's)
Birthday: April 11
Summers Experience
2025-Present: Colorado State (Defensive Coordinator)
2022-24: Western Kentucky (Defensive Coordinator)
2021: Florida (Analyst – Secondary)
2019-20: Colorado (Defensive Coordinator / Safeties, 2019; Defensive Coordinator / Inside Linebackers, 2020)
2018: Georgia (Quality Control – Secondary)
2016-17: Georgia Southern (Head Coach)
2015: Colorado State (Defensive Coordinator / Safeties)
2012-14: UCF (Linebackers, 2012-13; Defensive Coordinator, 2014)
2007-11: UAB (Linebackers, 2007-10; Safeties / Co-Special Teams Coordinator, 2011)
2006: Georgia Southern (Safeties)
2005: Georgia (Graduate Assistant – Safeties)
2004: Troy (Graduate Assistant – Wide Receivers)
2003: Presbyterian (Defensive Backs)
2002: Tift County HS (Defensive Backs)
Playing Career (Linebacker)
College: Presbyterian (1998-2001)
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