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Western Illinois University Athletics

Jared Elliott, Quarterbacks Coach

Jared Elliott

Follow Coach Elliott on Twitter @_CoachElliott

When searching for the Leathernecks’ next head football coach, WIU didn’t have to look far. On Jan. 4, 2018, Jared Elliott, the program’s former assistant head coach and co-offensive coordinator, was chosen to lead the next era in Western football.

At the helm of his own program, Elliott had his hand in the careers of nine All-Missouri Valley Football Conference picks and four All-Americans (Phil Steele FCS, STATS FCS, and the Associated Press).

The 2018 season saw Western nationally ranked in several categories, including passing offense (No. 21 / 271.9 YPG), rushing defense (No. 32 / 135.3 YPG), team sacks (No. 5 / 3.27) and total defense (No. 23 / 327.9 YPG). The Leathernecks led the Valley in sacks and tackles for loss that year, guided by Pete Swenson's FCS-leading 2.2 stops per game. Offensively, quarterback Sean McGuire finished 14th in passing yards per game, 14th in completions per game, and 22nd in passing touchdowns. Western finished the campaign with a pair of wins over 'Top 25' programs in 15/16 Montana and 17/23 Northern Iowa.

Elliott coached McGuire his entire Leatherneck career, and the QB went down as one of the greatest in program history, with records in passing yards (9,819), completions (772), and touchdowns (72). McGuire signed a professional contract with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL, and together the two won the 107th Grey Cup title (2020). 

Khalen Saunders became Western's first NFL draftee in 10 seasons when the Kansas City Chiefs selected him 84th overall in the 2019 Draft, and they hoisted the Vince Lombardi trophy as Super Bowl LIV champions in 2020. 
 
After rejoining the team in January 2016 as an assistant coach for Charlie Fisher, Elliott assisted WIU to 14 wins, highlighted by an 8-4 record in the 2017 campaign. The Leathernecks concluded the latter slate with an appearance in the FCS Playoffs -- their second trip in three years -- and were also ranked ninth in the STATS FCS Top-25 poll.
 
In his role, Elliott coached quarterback Sean McGuire to a pair of honorable mentions on the All-Missouri Valley Football Conference postseason list (2016 & 2017). He moved into the position of co-offensive coordinator just before the 2017 season and helped Western to the 16th-best scoring offense in the FCS. The Leathernecks were also ranked 22nd in fourth-down conversions, 23rd in third-down conversions, and 29th in passing offense.

In his first year at the helm of the program, Western went 5-6 and added three first-team All-MVFC selections in Clint Ratkovich, Pete Swenson, and Khalen Saunders. The latter two were also named All-Americans (AP & STAT FCS), while Saunders went on to become the program’s first NFL draft pick in 10 years with the 84th overall selection in the 2019 event. 
 
Elliott, who worked at Western during the 2012 season, spent three years (2013-15) at Carthage College as an assistant coach and co-offensive coordinator. In 2015, Carthage averaged more than 360 yards of total offense and finished 5-5. The program improved in each of the three years Elliott worked at Carthage, going from a 1-9 record in 2013 to 3-7 and .500 during the 2015 campaign.

During the 2012 season, Elliott and the Leathernecks started three different quarterbacks (including a true-freshman). He joined Western after serving as a graduate assistant for Fisher at Miami (Ohio). Elliott was a graduate assistant in both 2010 and 2011 and assisted in coaching the quarterbacks, was responsible for film breakdown, helped in recruiting and managed the scout teams. In 2011, he worked with the offensive line and tight ends.

Elliott worked as an assistant coach for wide receivers at Missouri Southern State University in the 2008 and 2009 seasons. He conducted position meetings, film study, assisted in game planning, monitored the academic progress of his position group, and ran field drills. 

A native of Franklin, Tenn., Elliott was a quarterback and wide receiver at Miami (Ohio) from 2004 to 2007 and part of three Mid-American Conference championship teams. He received his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and health with a minor in coaching.

Elliott and his wife Jamie have four children: Ava, Sadie, Clara, and Austin.