Report: Purdue Football Adding Former Ball State Defensive Coordinator David Elson to Staff

According to Doug Samuels of FootballScoop, Purdue Football is hiring David Elson to join the coaching staff. He will serve in a defensive quality control type role and has experience as a head coach and defensive coordinator.

Author:
D.J. Fezler
Publish date:
Jul 30, 2021 1:27 PM EDT

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue football coach Jeff Brohm is adding former Ball State defensive coordinator David Elson to the coaching staff. According to Doug Samuels of FootballScoop, he will serve in a defensive quality control type role.

Elson has served as the defensive coordinator of Marion University since 2020. Before his current role, he was on the Western Kentucky coaching staff between 1996 and 2009. He has head coaching experience with the program, having led the team from 2003 until his final year.

The Hilltoppers earned a trip to the FCS national championship in 2002. Afterward, Elson oversaw the transition of Western Kentucky from a Football Championship Subdivision to a Football Bowl Subdivision program. In his final season, the Hilltoppers joined the Sun Belt Conference.

Between 2003 and 2006, Elson helped Western Kentucky to an overall record of 30-16. However, the team went 0-12 in its first season in the Sun Belt Conference, and he was ultimately fired.

After his stint with Western Kentucky, Elson served as a defensive coordinator at New Mexico State, Southern Illinois and Western Illinois. He spent last season at Marian, where he took over a defense with national title aspirations.

Elson led the team to a top-20 NAIA defense in total defense and rush defense. Marian had the No. 2 defense in the country in sacks per game.

Marian announced Thursday that safeties coach Tyler Stinn, who has been with the program for six seasons and has also coached the highly successful Knights defensive line, was promoted to take over for Elson.

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