Michigan defensive line coach Mike Elston expected to leave for Los Angeles Chargers
Michigan Wolverines head coach Sherrone Moore‘s build of the coaching staff just got a little more difficult with the expectation that defensive line coach/recruiting coordinator Mike Elston will join Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers. The news was reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Elston just wrapped his second season as Michigan’s defensive line coach after returning to his alma mater ahead of the 2022 season. This past year, the defensive line – namely the defensive tackle position – was seen as the heart and soul of the Wolverine defense. Mason Graham earned first-team honors for his play, while Kris Jenkins and Kenneth Grant were named to the second team for their performances throughout the 2023 campaign.
Last year, Elston helped four Michigan players to All-Big Ten honors with Mike Morris and Mazi Smith representing the program on the first team. Morris was also named the Smith-Brown Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year and also had All-American honors as a second-teamer.
Elston’s return to Michigan before the 2022 season was his second go-round as part of the team’s coaching staff. A linebacker from 1993-96 in Ann Arbor, Elston was a student assistant coach in 1997, a video intern in 1998 and was a graduate assistant coaching the outside linebackers under Lloyd Carr from 1999-2000.
From there, Elston moved to Eastern Michigan University and coached the defensive ends in 2001. From 2002-03, he was the team’s recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach before making the leap to Central Michigan University to work under head coach Brian Kelly. He coached the defensive line in 2004 and was elevated to co-defensive coordinator in 2005. During the 2016 season, he was CMU’s special teams coordinator and linebackers coach.
Elston followed Kelly from CMU to Cincinnati, taking on the role of recruiting coordinator/special teams coordinator and tight ends coach in 2007-08. In 2009, Kelly elevated him to assistant head coach while also coordinating the special teams and coaching the defensive line.
The Elston/Kelly connection continued at Notre Dame with Elston serving as special teams coordinator/defensive line coach from 2010-11 before serving solely as defensive line coach from 2012-14. Elston took over as recruiting coordinator and linebackers coach in 2015-16 before sliding back to the defensive line in 2017. From 2018-20, he was the defensive line coach and associate head coach in South Bend. During his final season at ND, he was the recruiting coordinator/run game coordinator and defensive line coach.
