Former DeMatha Coach Elijah Brooks Joins USF Staff, Bringing a Championship Pedigree with Him

The longtime DeMatha Catholic head coach and Prince George’s County native leaves Virginia Tech to join Brian Hartline’s staff at South Florida, continuing a rise from high school powerhouse to the FBS ranks

Former DeMatha Catholic football coach Elijah Brooks has joined Brian Hartline's staff at the University of South Florida. / Elijah Brooks

Former DeMatha Catholic High School head coach Elijah Brooks announced on social media Friday, December 26th that he would be joining Brian Hartline’s coaching staff at the University of South Florida. 

“Excited for the new chapter at South Florida! Let’s Goooo!,” Brooks posted on his Facebook and Instagram page along with a photo of the DeMatha graduate decked out in a USF visor hat and jacket with a caption that read “Running With The Bulls.” 

The move was also confirmed by Brooks on X (formerly Twitter). 

Third Division I Stop for Maryland Native

Brooks, a Largo, Maryland native, will be joining his third NCAA Division 1 college football program after assistant coaching stints at Virginia Tech and the University of Maryland. 

From DeMatha Player to Stags Head Coach

The 2002 DeMatha Catholic High School graduate has spent the past three seasons as the running backs coach at Virginia Tech. Prior to that, Brooks held the same position at the University of Maryland from 2019-22. He’s expected to be named the running backs coach at USF. 

The Prince George’s County, Maryland product began coaching high school football at his alma mater DeMatha Catholic in 2007 as the Stags’ running backs coach. He was named the Stags’ head coach in 2011. 

During his tenure at DeMatha Catholic, Brooks guided the Hyattsville, Maryland private school to a 72-20 record, which marked the best eight-year run in school history, leading the Stags to four consecutive conference and state championships (2013-16). 

Historic Run in the Nation’s Toughest Conference

DeMatha Catholic competes in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC), widely regarded as one of the nation’s toughest high school football conferences. 

During his tenure as head coach at DeMatha Catholic, Brooks, who was inducted into the 2022 DeMatha Catholic High School Hall of Fame, earned WCAC Coach of the Year awards in 2014 and 2016. 

Playing Under Legends at DeMatha

Brooks was a standout student-athlete at DeMatha Catholic where he played on the gridiron for longtime head coach Bill McGregor and played on the hardwood for Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Morgan Wootten. 

Brooks played college football at Kent State and William & Mary where he shined on the gridiron as a standout running back. He earned all-conference honors at William & Mary where he finished his career as one of the school’s all-time leading rushers. 

Championship Resume and National Recognition

During his tenure as head coach of the DeMatha Catholic football program, Brooks helped lead the Stags to three top 20 national finishes. 

DeMatha Catholic’s football program has produced countless NFL players over the years. There are a handful of former Stags that played for Brooks at DeMatha Catholic who went on to play in the NFL including Anthony McFarland Jr., Nick Cross and DJ Turner.