Bryan Ellis

Bryan Ellis
Current position
TitleTight ends coach
TeamAlabama
ConferenceSEC
Biographical details
Born (1988-09-13) September 13, 1988 (age 36)
Macon, Georgia
Playing career
2007–2011UAB
Position(s)Quarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2012–2013UAB (GA)
2014Western Kentucky (OQC)
2015Western Kentucky (RB)
2016Western Kentucky (PGC/WR)
2017USC (OA)
2018USC (QB)
2019–2020Western Kentucky (OC/QB)
2021Western Kentucky (co-OC/IWR)
2022–2023Georgia Southern (OC/QB)
2024–presentAlabama (TE)

Bryan Ellis (born September 13, 1988) is an American college football coach. He is the tight ends coach for the University of Alabama, a position he has held since 2024.

Playing career

Ellis grew up in Byron, Georgia and initially attended Tiftarea Academy. He transferred to Peach County High School before his senior year.[1] Ellis passed for over 3,600 and had 31 touchdown passes in his lone season at the school.[2]

Ellis played college football for the UAB Blazers and redshirted his true freshman season after undergoing shoulder surgery. He had a second surgery that led to him missing his redshirt freshman season. As a redshirt sophomore, Ellis appeared in four games as a field goal holder and one as a quarterback in 2009, where he completed one-of-four passes for 14 yards against Texas A&M.[3] He became the Blazers' starting quarterback four games into his redshirt junior season and finished the year with 2,940 passing yards and 25 touchdown passes with 12 interceptions.[4] Ellis was named UAB's starting quarterback entering his redshirt senior season. He missed most of the season due to injury completed 67-of-127 pass attempts for 743 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions.[5]

Coaching career

Ellis was hired as graduate assistant at UAB following his senior year to start his coaching career. He was hired as an offensive quality control coach at Western Kentucky University (WKU) in 2014 by Hilltoppers' offensive coordinator Tyson Helton– who had been his quarterbacks coach at UAB when playing. Ellis was promoted to running backs coach after one season and was elevated to wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator the following year.[6] He was hired to serve as an offensive quality control coach at the University of Southern California (USC) in 2018 by head coach Clay Helton, Tyson Helton's brother.[7] Ellis was promoted to quarterbacks coach after one year.[8]

Ellis returned to Western Kentucky as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at as part of Tyson Helton's inaugural staff as head coach in 2019.[9] He was moved to co-offensive coordinator and inside wide receivers coach after two seasons when Zach Kittley was hired as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.[10] Ellis was hired by Clay Helton as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Georgia Southern University after he was hired as the Eagles' head coach.[11] On February 19, 2024, Ellis was hired by Kalen DeBoer as the tight ends coach at the University of Alabama after he was hired as the Alabama Crimson Tide's head coach.[12]

References

  1. ^ "USC quarterbacks coach Bryan Ellis out to prove he's the total package". Orange County Register. November 8, 2018. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  2. ^ "Tiftarea well represented on All-State team". The Tifton Gazette. December 23, 2006. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  3. ^ Irvine, Steve (August 19, 2010). "Football is a family affair for UAB quarterback Bryan Ellis". The Birmingham News. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  4. ^ Irvine, Steve (March 24, 2011). "UAB QB Bryan Ellis faces no questions on his starting status this spring". The Birmingham News. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  5. ^ Irvine, Steve (October 25, 2011). "UAB QB Bryan Ellis' season ends early". The Birmingham News. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  6. ^ "WKU assistant Ellis ready for chance to call plays". The Daily News. December 10, 2016. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  7. ^ "USC promotes Bryan Ellis, Keary Colbert as assistant coaches". ESPN.com. Associated Press. January 20, 2018. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  8. ^ "Bryan Ellis, USC's new quarterbacks coach, wants to prove he's no babe in the college football woods". Los Angeles Times. April 3, 2018. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  9. ^ Mansfield, Tyler (August 1, 2019). "Bryan Ellis' passion, success has him back at WKU". Rivals.com. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  10. ^ "Western Kentucky football: WKU releases 2021 schedule". The Courier-Journal. January 28, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  11. ^ "Eagle offense takes flight under new offensive coordinator Bryan Ellis". Statesboro Herald. October 20, 2022. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  12. ^ De Silver, Hunter (February 19, 2024). "Report: Alabama Hiring Georgia Southern's Bryan Ellis as Tight Ends Coach". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 9, 2024.