Elmassian Tabbed as ISU Football Defensive Coordinator

NORMAL, Ill.- Phil Elmassian, who has served as the defensive coordinator at five NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools, has been named the defensive coordinator for the Illinois State football team, head coach Brock Spack announced Monday. Elmassian (pronounced ell-MAY-shun) boasts a 35-year coaching career, which includes seven seasons as a defensive coordinator.

"We're very lucky to have Phil join our staff," said Spack. "He is the best defensive coach that I have ever been around in my career. He was the secondary coach at Purdue when the Boilermakers had one of their best defensive squads in program history. He's coached several current and former NFL players, and has a wealth of experience coaching at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level. It's a gift for the Illinois State football program, its players, coaches and staff to have Phil join the program as the defensive coordinator, as he brings an encyclopedic knowledge of the defensive side of the game."

Elmassian was equally excited about the opportunity to coach at Illinois State and work again alongside Spack.

"Coming to Illinois State as the defensive coordinator and working with Coach Spack is a great opportunity for me," said Elassian. "The commitment I have seen at Illinois State to Redbird Athletics and the ISU football program, from the University President (Dr. Al Bowman) and (Director of Athletics) Dr. Sheahon Zenger have been tremendous. Illinois State is a fantastic opportunity for me as a coach. Coaching in the Missouri Valley Football Conference will be a great challenge and one that I am certainly looking forward to."

Elmassian will bring a wealth of recruiting ties with him to Illinois State. The veteran coach has held positions at schools in 10 different states during his 35-year career.

Elmassian comes to Illinois State following one season as the co-defensive coordinator at Louisiana-Monroe. Just prior to his stint coaching the Warhawk defense, Elmassian spent four seasons at Nebraska as the secondary coach on former head coach Bill Callahan's staff.

The veteran coach has been a part of championships in four conferences and has served as the defensive coordinator at five NCAA Division I FBS schools: Louisiana-Monroe, LSU, Virginia Tech, Boston College and West Virginia.

In his career, he has coached 17 players who received all-conference honors and two All-Americans. Elmassian has coached in a bowl game in 17 of the last 24 seasons and coached 16 players with NFL experience.

Elmassian previously worked with Spack while coaching the Purdue defensive backs during the 2003 season. Spack was the defensive coordinator for Purdue from 1997-2008. The Boilermakers ranked second in the Big Ten, and 19th in the nation, in pass efficiency defense in 2003, and also ranked 13th nationally in total defense (302.5 yards per game).

Prior to Purdue, Elmassian coached for one season at Marshall (2002), which came after one-year stints as the defensive coordinator for West Virginia (2001) and LSU (2000).

Before taking over the defense at LSU, he served as defensive backs coach at Wisconsin (1997-99). Elmassian was also a secondary coach at Washington (1995), Syracuse (1991-92), Virginia Tech (1985-86), Minnesota (1984) and East Carolina (1983).

Elmassian began his coaching career at William & Mary (1974-75), before moving on to Richmond, where he coached from 1976-78. Elmassian coached the quarterbacks and running backs at both schools, before switching to defense at Ferrum College, where he was defensive coordinator from 1979-82. He also coached the inside linebackers at Virginia from 1987-90. His five league titles have come at schools in four conferences, and include Marshall's Mid-American Conference Championship in 2002; Washington's Pac-10 Championship in 1995; and Virginia's Atlantic Coast Conference Championship in 1989. He also helped lead Wisconsin to the Rose Bowl and Big Ten Championships in 1998 and 1999, as the Badger defense led the nation in scoring defense in 1998 and ranked fifth in 1999.

Elmassian played at Ferrum (Va.) College as a quarterback, then transferred to William & Mary (Va.), where he played defensive back under college football hall of fame head coach Lou Holtz. He earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from William & Mary in 1974.

Elmassian and his wife, Mary, have three children: Claire, Dylan and Olivia.

ELMASSIAN COACHING LEDGER

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