The One Who Guides Wolfpack Defense in DJ Eliot’s Absence

RALEIGH — NC State has several mantras and repetitive phrases ingrained within the program. The players and the staff talk constantly about 'HTT,' or Hard, Tough, Together. However, the last two weeks placed a significant amount of pressure on the Wolfpack to live up to one of their other go-to phrases.

Defensive coordinator DJ Eliot stepped away from the program temporarily after the death of his daughter, Drue. She passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer before the Week 5 matchup against Virginia Tech. NC State head coach Dave Doeren said he sent Eliot to be with his family in Pennsylvania quickly as her condition worsened.

However, NC State still had games to play. Luckily, Eliot was partnered up with safeties and nickel coach Charlton Warren in many of the defensive coordinator's responsibilities. This made it easy for Warren to step in for Eliot during his absence. While the team didn't get a win against the Hokies, Warren's defense performed admirably in the face of extreme adversity. Now, he'll lead the defense as it tries to bounce back from the loss against Campbell.

Cian Slone and Jamel Johnson — Sep 27, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack cornerback Jamel Johnson (21) celebrates during the first half of the game against Virginia Tech Hokies at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Coming with Experience

Warren and Eliot both brought extensive resumes to Raleigh when they signed on to be part of Doeren's staff. Eliot recently served as the linebackers coach for the Philadelphia Eagles and spent a season as a remote analyst for Dave Aranda's program at Baylor.

Warren, a former member of the United States Air Force, most recently worked as the associate head coach and defensive backs coach for North Carolina. Warren's background gave the Wolfpack head coach some comfort in the situation.

"He's experienced. He's done this multiple times. It wasn't like, 'OK, how do I do this?' He knows exactly how to plan a practice. He knows how to talk to the assistant coaches from that chair," Doeren said. "With the players, he knows what to demand."

When hired, the program announced Warren would serve as the "co-defensive coordinator," but Eliot remained the primary coordinator. The unique setup allowed for both coaches to focus on different things, Doeren explained.

"He's been like that since he got here for DJ. They've been able to divide and conquer in some ways," Doeren said. "(Eliot's) with the front and he's with the back end, so it's been very seamless and we're lucky to have a guy with that kind of experience on our staff when something like this happens."

The Week 6 Setup

Eliot remained away from the team throughout the week and hosted a memorial service for his daughter on Thursday, according to Doeren. Warren and assistant linebackers coach Isaiah Moore continued to handle Eliot's workload while he was away from the team throughout the week. Doeren spoke about the plan for the Campbell game during his Monday press conference.

"Coach Warren will call the game again this weekend, and then DJ will be back in full-time after that, but he'll be with the team, I believe, Friday at the hotel, so that he can spend time with the players, and then help out on game day to support Charlton," Doeren said. "We wanted (Eliot) to have this time with his family to have the closure that he needs and then we'll move forward."

Unfortunately for Doeren and Warren, the defense is dealing with a plethora of injuries heading into the most difficult portion of the season. Eliot's absence created even more adversity for a group trying to figure things out, particularly tackling, as the season rushes forward.

Obviously, it will be hard for Eliot to return to work, but Doeren pledged that he and his staff will be as supportive and empathetic to their struggling co-worker as they possibly can be.

"So all I can do is try to be as supportive as I can. Same with my staff. There's empathy. There's love... and no matter what happens in our workplace and our family here, we're going to do anything we can to help each other through these things," Doeren said.

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