Colorado University Athletics
New Buffs DC Eliot Brings Passion, Expertise To Colorado
January 23, 2017 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — New Colorado defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot has barely had time to catch his breath since since he hit the ground in Boulder on Friday.
He's already met with recruits, watched film of CU's defense, carefully studied the players he'll be coaching next fall, familiarized himself with the nuances of the 3-4 defense the Buffs have employed the past two seasons, and met with other members of CU's coaching staff.
But he did find a few minutes Monday morning to discuss his vision for Colorado football — and what is already quite clear is that Eliot has a passion for the game, especially defense, and particularly the 3-4 scheme the Buffs will continue to employ under his tutelage.
"We're going to be able to attack, we're going to bring different rushers to confuse the quarterback, the kids are going to play fast," Eliot promised. "We're going to emphasize fundamentals, we're going to make sure that we take the field every week prepared and that our players are going to play every play like it's their last play. The game of football is meant to be played with passion and emotion and that's what we're going to emphasize with our players."
Eliot is no stranger to Boulder, Colorado football and head coach Mike MacIntyre.
— As a youngster in Oklahoma, Eliot regularly attended CU's summer football camps, where he was impressive enough to earn an introduction to then-head coach Bill McCartney, courtesy of Buffs linebackers coach Brian Cabral.
— As a linebacker at Wyoming, he played in Folsom Field in 1997 (a game that still makes him wince). The Cowboys led 19-10 with less than five minutes to play, only to give up 10 points down the stretch, allowing the Buffs to escape with a 20-19 win. The comeback was fueled by a Ben Kelly kick return for a touchdown, a Wyoming turnover, and a Darrin Chiaverini catch at the goal line that put the Buffs in position for the game-winning field goal in the waning seconds. (Yes, the Buffs will now have a defensive coordinator and offensive co-coordinator who played in the same game 20 years ago.)
— His wife, Miekel, is from Colorado, a graduate of Northglenn High School who attended Wyoming, where the two met.
— As a young assistant coach at Texas State, Eliot once spent an entire day with then-Dallas Cowboys assistant coach Mike MacIntyre discussing defensive back coaching strategies and techniques.
It has all added up to an opportunity Eliot couldn't refuse.
"It's a place that's always been special to me and my family," Eliot said. "The combination of a great program, a great coach and being in Colorado at CU for us has been perfect. We feel like we've come home. (Miekel) is from Westminster and went to Northglenn High School. We've been vacationing in Colorado our entire marriage and I used to come up here as a kid. This is a special place and we feel really good that we're here."
Eliot just finished his fourth season as defensive coordinator at Kentucky under head coach Mark Stoops. His other stops have included Miami when the Hurricanes were a national power, Houston, Rice, Tulsa and Florida State, where he helped the Seminoles rebound under Jimbo Fisher.
It's a coaching "pedigree" that should serve the Buffs well, one that MacIntyre said has produced "one of the great young defensive minds in the game of college football today."
"I've been around a lot of great coaches and I've coached at a lot of great programs in a lot of different leagues," Eliot said. "I have experiences that have helped me become the coach I am today and I can fall back on those experiences to keep moving forward and help us to be great on defense."
It is those experiences he believes make him ready to make the switch from the SEC to the Pac-12, a conference he believes is the perfect fit for CU's 3-4 scheme.
"The reason is we're so multiple out of the 3-4," Eliot said. "We can do so many things from the same look. We can bring a different rusher from anywhere, we can have three midline defenders that can defend either side of the ball. The 3-4 to me is a defense that dictates the tempo and dictates the attack as opposed to the other way."
Eliot will no doubt lean on MacIntyre's defensive expertise as he makes the transition to a conference known for its spread-happy, up-tempo teams.
"I've been following him for a long time," Eliot said. "Here's a guy that's coached in the NFL, who's coached under Bill Parcells, who's had success everywhere he's been and has been able to turn two programs. … I'm excited to work for him."
Eliot will also coach linebackers for the Buffs, and he inherits a solid group of returnees, including starters Rick Gamboa and Addison Gillam, two of CU's leading tacklers a year ago.
"I see guys with a lot of experience and a lot of talent," Eliot said. "I've been able to catch some (conditioning) workouts and I've seen them on video. I'm excited about working with these guys."
Eliot will continue to work the recruiting trail until the Feb. 1 signing day, then turn his full attention to preparing for spring ball. The Buffs are scheduled to open spring drills on Feb. 22, with the annual Spring Game set for March 18.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
