Former Georgia Southern offensive coordinator Bryan Ellis, has been hired by the University of Alabama to become the program’s next tight ends coach, according to multiple reports.
Coach Ellis has previously had recent stops at college football programs such as two stints at Western Kentucky and the University of Southern Cal before becoming the offensive coordinator for Georgia Southern, where he spent the last two seasons.
The Byron-native grew up in Georgia and attended Peach County High School where he played quarterback for the Trojans. In his career at Peach County, Coach Ellis earned Class 3A Offensive Player of the Year and threw for over 3,600 yards and 30 touchdowns in his senior season.
In his last year of high school football in 2006, Coach Ellis led Peach County to a 14-1 season including a Class 3A State Championship, where the Trojans defeated Shaw, 28-7, to win back-to-back Class 3A State Championships.
Coach Ellis first gained experience in the collegiate ranks during his playing days as he went on to play quarterback at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. In 2010, he saw action for the first time as a starter for the Blazers, starting in nine games and ultimately playing in 11. With Coach Ellis under center, he threw for close to 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns. He still is in the UAB record books today as he ranks tenth in career passing yardage (3,697 yards), sixth in single season passing yards (2,940 yards) and second in single-season passing touchdowns with 25.
During the 2010 season, in the fourth game of the season, UAB traveled to Knoxville to play Tennessee where Coach Ellis was put in the game and took the Vols to double-OT. He threw for over 370-yards and a touchdown in their comeback attempt.
After his playing days, Coach Ellis served on the UAB staff as a Graduate Assistant for two seasons before being hired in the Western Kentucky football program. From 2014-2016, in his first opportunity with the Hilltoppers, Coach Ellis held roles such as offensive quality control coach, running backs coach and passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach.
After WKU, Coach Ellis was hired at USC where he spent two seasons with the Trojans in roles such as offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach. As a quarterbacks coach, Coach Ellis spent time with former third overall pick, Sam Darnold and was able to work with former USC head coach Clay Helton for the first time before the two reunited years later at Georgia Southern.
Coach Ellis left USC to go back to WKU for a promotion, this time as the offensive coordinator. In 2021, his third season as the offensive coordinator, the Western Kentucky offense thrived as they led the country in passing yards per game by averaging close to 434 passing yards. Coach Ellis helped former WKU quarterback and current New England Patriot, Bailey Zappe, become the all-time single-season passing yards leader in NCAA football history with 5,967 yards during the 2021 season.
After leaving WKU for a second time in 2022 to become the new offensive coordinator for Georgia Southern, Coach Ellis reunited with Coach Helton from their USC days and helped rebuild the program’s offense. In his lone two seasons as the Georgia Southern play caller, Coach Ellis had the Eagles firing on all cylinders as they finished fourth in the Sun Belt Conference in total yards per game by averaging 419.5 yards of offense.
As new tight ends coach for Alabama, Coach Ellis gets a chance to coach 5-star tight end and Carrollton-alum, Caleb Odom, in both of their first seasons with the Crimson Tide.
Coach Ellis fills the last open position on the new Alabama football coaching staff under new head coach Kalen DeBoer who was hired in January.
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