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JMU roundup: Dukes name Elliott to football coaching staff
10:12 pm Friday, January 16, 2015 from Northern Virginia Daily (Strasburg,
Virginia)
HARRISONBURG, Virginia — James Madison University (JMU) football named Brett
Elliott as quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator, head coach
Everett Withers announced Friday.
Elliott takes over for Drew Mehringer, now on the football coaching
staff at the University of Houston.
Coming off their first playoff appearance since 2011, the JMU Dukes open the 2015 campaign in Bridgeforth Stadium on Sept. 5 against Morehead State.
Most recently, Elliott was on the offensive staff at Mississippi State for
the past three seasons, working on offensive quality control. During his time
with the team, the Mississippi State Bulldogs finished with its highest Associated Press ranking
since 1940 by finishing No. 11 this past season, while also tying for its
highest Coaches Poll finish at No. 12. This season’s squad won 10 games for the
first time in school history and played in the Orange Bowl for the first time
since 1941. The team also broke 29 individual and team single-season records
during the 2014 season with the top offense in school history, led by First
Team All-Southeastern Conference quarterback Dak Prescott.
After his collegiate playing days, Elliott signed a free agent contract
with the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He also played for
the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe and was under contract with the San Jose SaberCats
when the league halted operations in late 2008. Elliott also played in the
Arena League as a starter for the Utah Blaze in 2010 and the Georgia Force in
2011.
A native of Lake Oswego, Ore., Elliott played his redshirt freshman year at
the University of Utah before transferring to Linfield College in McMinnville, Ore., a member of the Northwest Conference.
In 2005 at
Linfield, he won the Gagliardi Trophy and Melberger Award, given to the top
player in NCAA Division III. Elliott was twice named an All-American and led
Linfield to the 2004 NCAA Division III national championship. During his
playing career, he set Linfield and Northwest Small College single-game,
single-season and career passing records and broke the all-divisions record for
most touchdown passes in one season — throwing for 61 scores in 2004.
Elliot has also served as a Linfield football assistant coach.
He graduated
in 2006 from Linfield with his bachelor’s degree in mass communication.
