Football

Chad Ellis is in his eighth season as an assistant coach for the Pirates football team and serves as the special teams coordinator and defensive tackles coach. 

Ellis was hired as the running backs coach in 2014, helping Dylan Wilburn earn All-SCAC honorable mention honors in 2014. In 2016, Ellis was appointed special teams coordinator and switched from coaching running backs to safeties. 

In his first season as special teams coordinator, Ellis oversaw both the SCAC Special Teams Player of the Year, returner Nik Kelly, and the SCAC Newcomer of the Year, kicker Luke Fierst. Fierst was only the second kicker in league history to earn that honor. 

Ellis switched from safeties to defensive tackles in 2017 while retaining his special teams coordinator role, getting a school-record-breaking performance from freshman Wil Herbst with a single-game scoring record of 11 points in a commanding victory over Texas Lutheran University. In 2019, punter Victor Windfeld was named second-team All-ASC. 

Prior to joining the Southwestern coaching staff, Ellis worked with the defensive line at Texas Lutheran University for two seasons, helping his alma mater earn the SCAC title in his second season. He was a two-year starter at defensive end for Texas Lutheran after transferring from Michigan Tech.

Ellis graduated from Texas Lutheran in 2012. He and his wife, Sarah, live in Austin with their dog, Emma.