Getting To Know DJ Eliot

While North Carolina State has Charlton Warren in place as the defensive backs coach and co-defensive coordinator, head coach Dave Doeren turned to longtime coach DJ Eliot to be the team's official defensive coordinator.

Eliot has a robust background in coaching, seeing a lot over the course of 27 years in coaching. Eliot joined the Wolfpack in January after former coordinator Tony Gibson left the Pack to become the head coach at Marshall.

Experienced Veteran

Eliot's coaching experience spans back to 1999, where he began as a grad assistant at his alma mater, the University of Wyoming. He also played linebacker for the Wyoming Cowboys while he was a student.

He quietly worked his way up the ranks at a number of different programs before getting his first break as a defensive coordinator at Kentucky. Eliot coached the Wildcats from 2013 to 2016 before moving to Colorado in the same position.

Eliot continued to bounce around in coordinator positions, spending two seasons at Colorado, two with Kansas and one with Temple. In 2023, he served as the linebackers coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, where he worked with standout outside linebacker Haason Reddick.

His most recent position was with Dave Aranda at Baylor, where he worked as an analyst for the team.

Eliot's experience was a major reason Doeren pulled the trigger in hiring him as the defensive coordinator.

"He has worked with some of the greatest minds in college football," Doeren said back in January. "He knows what it takes to develop players so they can make it to the next level."