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Ross Els is in his fifth season as the Bobcats' linebackers coach. Els oversaw the Bobcats' special teams in 2006, adding the title of special teams coordinator for the 2007 season. In his first season as special teams coordinator, kicker Michael Braunstein set the Ohio single-season field goal record and was named to the All-MAC first team. Els' linebacking corps has been a key to Ohio's success in switching from a 3-4 scheme to a 4-3 alignment. During his time at Ohio, Els has mentored three All-MAC linebackers, including two-time first-team selection Matt Muncy. Under Els' guidance, Muncy posted a career-high 115 tackles in 2005 and a career-best 17.0 tackles for loss in 2006. Tyler Russ, the team's leading tackler in 2006, was a second-team All-MAC pick as a senior. The starting unit of Muncy, Russ and Michael Graham all ranked among the Bobcats' top five tacklers on the MAC's stingiest scoring defense. Aside from coaching his experienced starting group, Els was also able to mentor four players that moved from the secondary to linebacker in 2006 that all saw significant time. In 2008, Noah Keller earned second-team All-MAC honors as a sophomore. Els came to Ohio after four seasons at New Mexico State. In his last two years with the Aggies, he served as the team's defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. His first two seasons at NMSU were spent coaching the Aggie special teams and safeties. He worked extensively with two-time all-conference selection Siddeeq Shabazz who went on to play with the Atlanta Falcons. His 2001 special teamers finished first in the Sun Belt Conference in kickoff average, kickoff returns and punt returns. Els moved to New Mexico State after four successful seasons as head coach and defensive backs coach at Hastings College in Nebraska. He posted an impressive 32-9 record, leading the Broncos to the NAIA playoffs in 1998 and 1999. The 1999 squad reached the semifinals. His teams finished the regular season 10-0 and won the Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference in both 1998 and 1999, and his 1998 squad was the top-ranked team in Division II heading into the playoffs. His success at the helm of the Hastings program did not go unnoticed. He was recognized as the Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference Coach of the Year following the 1998 and 1999 seasons. Els was also named the 2000 Lincoln Journal Star State College Coach of the Year and the 1999 Omaha World-Herald State College Coach of the Year. Prior to ascending to the head of the Hastings program, Els spent two years as an assistant with the Broncos. He coached the quarterbacks during the 1995 season and served as the defensive coordinator and defensive secondary coach in 1996. Els also filled the roles of recruiting coordinator, academic coordinator and sports information director during the two-year span. Els got his start in coaching as a graduate assistant at Northern Iowa in 1989. He was in charge of the linebackers and assisted with the defensive secondary. Beginning in the fall of 1990, Els served four years as an assistant at his alma mater, Nebraska-Omaha, where he coached the defensive secondary. His time at UNO also included strength and conditioning, academic and video coordinator duties. Els had one more stint with Northern Iowa before getting started at Hastings. He instructed the defensive secondary as a restricted earnings coach for the NCAA I-AA playoff qualifying Panthers in 1994. A Lincoln, Neb., native, Els and his wife, Jane, have three children - Julie, Taylor and Bo. |
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