Dec. 21, 2005
SAN DIEGO - Bob Elliott, a 28-year veteran in the college football coaching ranks, has been named assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at San Diego State, Aztec head coach Chuck Long announced Wednesday. Elliott has served as a defensive coordinator for seven seasons, including three years at Iowa and the last four with Kansas State.
Elliott, 52, is the first assistant hired by Long since he became the Aztecs' head coach on Dec. 17.
"We are glad to welcome Bob to the Aztec family," Long said. "He is an outstanding football coach, great recruiter and most important a great person. I know the defensive players will be excited. He brings a brand of exciting defense to the table as well as lot of enthusiasm that I am sure our players will latch on to."
"I know this is a great opportunity," Elliott said. "Chuck Long is a long-time friend who I worked with at Iowa. He is a great guy who knows how to win. He has always won as a player and as a coach. I have coached with him and I have coached against him and I would rather coach with."
Elliott helped usher in unparalleled eras of success as defensive coordinator at both Iowa and Kansas State.
From 1987 to 1998, he was Iowa's secondary coach and then the Hawkeyes' assistant head coach and defensive coordinator, guiding the program to an 82-56-2 record (59.3 percent), and nine .500 or better campaigns in 12 seasons. During his stay, Iowa participated in the Rose Bowl, two Holiday Bowls, two Alamo Bowls, two Sun Bowls and the Peach Bowl. In 1997, the Hawkeye defense posted three shutouts and held 10 of 12 opponents to 21 points or less en route to a No. 4 national ranking in scoring defense and No. 7 ranking in total defense. Elliott was responsible for recruiting 11 of the 22 offensive and defensive starters on that 1997 team.
In 2002, he began a four-year run at Kansas State in which the Wildcats posted two 11-win seasons and advanced to the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, the only appearance in a BCS Bowl game in school history. During his tenure, K-State went 31-19 (62.0 winning percentage) with four victories over nationally-ranked teams.
His 2002 Wildcats finished the season ranked first in scoring defense, second in total defense, second in rushing defense and third in passing efficiency defense. Kansas State held seven opponents to 10 points or less that season, posting three shutouts. Elliott's defense allowed a total of 20 points over the final four regular-season games and did not allow an opponent more than 17 points in any of the final seven regular-season contests.
The Wildcats were nearly as impressive in 2003, ranking sixth nationally in total defense, eighth in scoring defense, 12th in pass efficiency defense and 17th in rushing defense. Kansas State held seven opponents to 10 points or less that, including a 38-9 victory at 18th-ranked Nebraska and a 35-7 win over top-ranked Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship game.
In 2004 and 2005, his defensive units ranked among the top 50 nationally. This past season, despite starting three sophomores and a freshman, Kansas State ranked 49th in total defense, including 32nd against the rush. The Wildcats held five opponents below 350 yards or less of total offense.
A two-time Academic All-American as a defensive back at Iowa, Elliott was a Rhodes Scholarship candidate in 1976, earning a bachelor's degree in history. A recipient of NCAA postgraduate scholarship, he got his start in coaching as a secondary coach at Kent State in 1977. He served as defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Ball State from 1978 to 1981, before going to Iowa State in 1981 as a secondary coach. From 1983 to 1987, he served as wide receivers and tight ends coach at North Carolina, before returning to his alma mater in 1987.
He has also served as an assistant athletic director at Iowa from 1998 through 2000. Elliott then helped lead Iowa State to consecutive bowl games in 2000 and 2001 as an associate head coach, secondary and special teams coordinator.
Elliott and his wife, Joey, have two children, Grant and Jessica.
The Bob Elliott File
Playing Experience:
Defensive back at Iowa (1972, 1974-75)
Experience:
1976 - Iowa (graduate assistant)
1977 - Kent State (secondary)
1978-79 - Ball State (secondary)
1980 - Ball State (defensive coordinator)
1981-82 - Iowa State (secondary)
1983-86 - North Carolina (wide receivers/tight ends)
1987-94 - Iowa (secondary)
1995 - Iowa (executive director of Iowa Alumni Association)
1996-97 - Iowa (defensive coordinator)
1998 - Iowa (assistant head coach)
1998-00 - Iowa (assistant athletic director)
2000-01 - Iowa State (associate head coach/secondary/special teams)
2002-05 - Kansas State (defensive coordinator)