Coaches
Ross Els
His career from Wikipedia, each job checked against the team-season pages (✓ = a second source agrees, ≠ = they disagree)
Ross Els
Played at Nebraska–Omaha 1984-1987
Source: Wikipedia, read 2026-10-26
| Years | Team | Role | Title | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Northern Iowa | GA | GA | not known |
| 1990-1993 | Nebraska–Omaha | Position | DB | not known |
| 1994 | Northern Iowa | Position | DB | not known |
| 1995 | Hastings | Position | QB | not known |
| 1996 | Hastings | DC | DC/DB | not known |
| 1997-2000 | Hastings | Head coach | Head coach | himself |
| 2001-2002 | New Mexico State | ST coord. | STC/S | Tony Samuel |
| 2003-2004 | New Mexico State | DC | DC/LB | Tony Samuel |
| 2005-2010 | Ohio | Position | LB | Frank Solich |
| 2011 | Nebraska | Position | LB | Bo Pelini |
| 2012-2014 | Nebraska | ST coord. | LB/STC/RC | Bo Pelini |
| 2015 | Lincoln Southwest HS (NE) (HS) | Other | assistant | not known |
| 2016 | Purdue | DC | DC/S✓ | Gerad Parker* (2016), Darrell Hazell (2016) |
| 2017-2018 | Colorado | Position | ILB | Mike MacIntyre |
| 2019 | Colorado | ST coord. | STC/ILB | Mel Tucker |
| 2020-2023 | Michigan State | ST coord. | STC/LB | Mel Tucker (2020-2022), Harlon Barnett (2023) |
Record
Confirmed coordinator seasons since 2005. FBS rankings
| Season | Team | Job | EPA/play | Points/poss. | Success | Year before | Teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Purdue | Defensive coordinator | 114 | 114 | 99 | 97 | 128 |
| Season | Head coach below FBS | Level | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Hastings | NAIA | 5-4 |
| 1998 | Hastings | NAIA | 10-1 |
| 1999 | Hastings | NAIA | 11-1 |
| 2000 | Hastings | NAIA | 6-3 |
Worked under
- Tony Samuel · New Mexico State 2001-2004 (DC, Position, ST coord.)
- Frank Solich · Ohio 2005-2010 (Position)
- Bo Pelini · Nebraska 2011-2014 (Other, Position, ST coord.)
- Gerad Parker* · Purdue 2016 (DC, Position)
- Darrell Hazell · Purdue 2016 (DC, Position)
- Mike MacIntyre · Colorado 2017-2018 (Position)
- Mel Tucker · Colorado 2019 (Position, ST coord.)
- Mel Tucker · Michigan State 2020-2022 (Position, ST coord.)
- Harlon Barnett · Michigan State 2023 (Position, ST coord.)
His tree
Coaches who were on his staffs
No one on his staffs among the coaches we hold.
Coached together
- Mark Farley · Northern Iowa 1989-1994 · him GA, Position, them Position
- Barney Cotton · New Mexico State 2001-2002 · him Position, ST coord., them OC, Other, Position
- Gerry Gdowski · New Mexico State 2001-2004 · him DC, Position, ST coord., them OC, Other, Position
- Steve Stanard · New Mexico State 2001-2002 · him Position, ST coord., them DC, Position
- Derek Mason* · New Mexico State 2004 · him DC, Position, them Position
- Bryan Nardo · Ohio 2005-2008 · him Position, them Other
- Carl Pelini · Ohio 2005-2007 · him Position, them Position
- Derek Mason* · Ohio 2005-2006 · him Position, them Position
- Frank Solich · Ohio 2005-2010 · him Position, them Head coach
- Gerry Gdowski · Ohio 2005-2010 · him Position, them OC, Other, Position
- Jamar Cain · Ohio 2005 · him Position, them GA
- Jim Burrow · Ohio 2005-2010 · him Position, them DC
- Tim Albin* · Ohio 2005-2010 · him Position, them OC, Position
- Steve Stanard · Ohio 2008 · him Position, them Position
- Scott Isphording · Ohio 2009 · him Position, them Other, Position
- Barney Cotton · Nebraska 2011-2014 · him Other, Position, ST coord., them Head coach, Other, Position
- Bo Pelini · Nebraska 2011-2014 · him Other, Position, ST coord., them Head coach
- Carl Pelini · Nebraska 2011 · him Position, them DC, Position
- John Papuchis · Nebraska 2011-2014 · him Other, Position, ST coord., them DC, Other, Position, ST coord.
- Marvin Sanders · Nebraska 2011 · him Position, them Position
- Tim Beck · Nebraska 2011-2014 · him Other, Position, ST coord., them OC, Position
- Charlton Warren · Nebraska 2014 · him Other, Position, ST coord., them Position
- Darrell Hazell · Purdue 2016 · him DC, Position, them Head coach
- Gerad Parker* · Purdue 2016 · him DC, Position, them Head coach, Other, Position
- Marcus Freeman*+ · Purdue 2016 · him DC, Position, them DC, Position
- Taver Johnson · Purdue 2016 · him DC, Position, them Position
- Terry Malone · Purdue 2016 · him DC, Position, them OC, Position
- Tim Lester · Purdue 2016 · him DC, Position, them Position
- Brian Lindgren · Colorado 2017 · him Position, them OC, Position
- D. J. Eliot · Colorado 2017-2018 · him Position, them DC, Position
- Daniel Da Prato · Colorado 2017-2018 · him Position, them Analyst
- Darrin Chiaverini · Colorado 2017-2019 · him Position, ST coord., them OC, Other, Position
- Mike MacIntyre · Colorado 2017-2018 · him Position, them Head coach
- Klayton Adams · Colorado 2018 · him Position, them OC
- Kurt Roper · Colorado 2018 · him Position, them Head coach, Position
- Chris Kapilovic · Colorado 2019 · him Position, ST coord., them Other, Position
- Jay Johnson · Colorado 2019 · him Position, ST coord., them OC, Position
- Mel Tucker · Colorado 2019 · him Position, ST coord., them Head coach
- Tyson Summers · Colorado 2019 · him Position, ST coord., them DC, Position
- Chris Kapilovic · Michigan State 2020-2023 · him Position, ST coord., them Other, Position
- Harlon Barnett · Michigan State 2020-2023 · him Position, ST coord., them Head coach, Position
- Jay Johnson · Michigan State 2020-2023 · him Position, ST coord., them OC, Position
- Mel Tucker · Michigan State 2020-2023 · him Position, ST coord., them Head coach
- Mike Tressel · Michigan State 2020 · him Position, ST coord., them Position
- Scottie Hazelton · Michigan State 2020-2023 · him Position, ST coord., them DC