Bill Elias Position: Asst. Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator/Linebackers Experience: Second Season Alma Mater: Massachusetts '77

Bill Elias begins his second season as a member of the Miami coaching staff. He was named assistant head coach, recruiting coordinator and linebackers coach on January 3, 2009.

Elias moved to Oxford from Gannon University in Erie, Pa., where he spent the previous three years as director of athletics. He was head football coach for eight years before that. He attended Miami as a freshman following his graduation from Bedford High School in Massachusetts.

Elias and Michael Haywood worked together as coaches at LSU from 1995 through 1997, where Elias served in several capacities.

A graduate of the University of Massachusetts in 1977, he became assistant defensive secondary coach for the varsity squad and was defensive coordinator for the junior varsity team. From 1978-80, Elias coached offensive backs at the University of Delaware and also was offensive coordinator for the Blue Hens' freshman team. He coached at Eastern Michigan University from 1981-86, serving as a graduate assistant for two seasons before taking over as outside linebacker coach. Elias moved on to Butler County Community College in El Dorado, Kansas for one season, becoming the school's offensive coordinator and offensive line coach.

He left the coaching profession for three years, working in private business, but re-entered coaching from 1991-94 at Vanderbilt. In Nashville, he coached outside linebackers and defensive ends, and also was Vanderbilt's recruiting coordinator. Elias then joined LSU's staff prior to the 1994 season, coaching tight ends his first two years. For his final two seasons with the Tigers, he served as recruiting coordinator and helped LSU garner Top-10 recruiting classes. His time in Baton Rouge included three consecutive bowl appearances. Elias either coached or recruited 20 players who performed in the NFL.

Elias was named head football coach at Gannon University in 1998, developing and implementing the school's plan to move from a merit/need-based non-scholarship program to Division II status. Gannon's best team was the 2003 squad that compiled a school-best 9-1 mark, achieved fifth place in the Lambert Cup rankings, and placed 10th in the Division II regional rankings. That year, Elias was selected the Independent Football Alliance's Coach of the Year. Gannon moved into the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) in 2004 under Elias's orchestration.

He was appointed as Gannon's athletic director in March of 2006 after coaching the Golden Knights to a 31-51 record through eight seasons. During his two-year tenure as AD, Elias was a member of the NCAA Division II football committee and in 2008 helped move Gannon to membership in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. As athletic director, his teams won three GLIAC championships. Gannon's nearly 350 student-athletes produced a combined 3.22 grade-point average last spring.

Elias' family includes his wife, Kathy, and their sons, Willie and Darren.