CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Dan Ellington has joined the Illinois coaching staff as the program's assistant wide receivers coach, head coach Bret Bielema announced Friday. Ellington spent last season as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Itawamba (Miss.) Community College after previously spending four seasons on the offensive staff at his alma mater, Georgia State.
"It is great to bring in another bright young coach who has experience coaching multiple positions and has been a coordinator at the junior college level," said Bielema. "Coach Ellington comes highly recommended from around the coaching world. We're excited to get him to Champaign."
"I'm extremely excited to join Coach Bielema's staff and the Illinois football program," said Ellington. "I'm so thankful for the opportunity Coach Bielema has given me. I have been a fan of his for a while, and I have seen nothing but greatness from him. Big things are happening here in Champaign, and I am honored to be a part of this program. My fiancée Angela and I are very thrilled to be here!"
Ellington helped Itawamba to a 6-3 record as the team's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2024, the program's best season since 2017, when Ellington was a standout player for ICC. Ellington was the 2017 MACCC Player of the Year and a junior college All-American as a player at Itawamba, before he finished his standout playing career at Georgia State.
Ellington helped Georgia State to some of its best seasons in program history when he was on the offensive staff from 2020-23 and a player from 2018-19. Georgia State won 25 games over Ellington's four-year stretch on staff, including victories in the 2020 LendingTree Bowl, 2021 Camellia Bowl, and 2023 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. He coached the team's running backs for his first two seasons from 2020-21, before transitioning to tight ends coach from 2022-23.
In his first two seasons on the staff, Ellington coached three All-Sun Belt Conference running backs who each gained over 750 yards. In 2021, his All-Sun Belt backs Tucker Gregg and Jamyest Williams combined for more than 1,800 yards rushing as the Panthers ranked No. 8 in FBS in rushing with 226.4 yards per game, the second-best figure in program history. Gregg (953 yards) and Williams (859) produced GSU's second and third-highest season totals, and Williams set a school record with 6.7 yards per carry. In 2020, Ellington was part of an offensive staff that led Georgia State to a school-record scoring average of 33.3 points, along with nearly 200 rushing yards per game.
A former Georgia State quarterback, Ellington was named to the Panthers' staff in May 2020 after completing his playing career as the Panthers' starting quarterback for two seasons from 2018-19.
A two-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection as a dual-threat quarterback, Ellington set numerous program records and milestones. He finished with Georgia State's highest career completion percentage (62.0%), while ranking second all-time with 34 touchdowns passes. He ranks third in program history in nearly every other major passing category, including 4,566 career yards passing on 401 career completions with just 13 interceptions. He also finished fourth on the Georgia State career rushing list with 1,293 yards and 11 touchdowns during his career.
As a senior in 2019, Ellington passed for 2,447 yards and 22 touchdowns and rushed for 668 yards and six scores to lead Georgia State to seven victories and a bowl berth. He authored one of the signature moments in Georgia State sports history when he led the Panthers to their season-opening 38-30 victory at Tennessee in 2019 with 200 yards of total offense, two touchdown passes, and one rushing touchdown.
Beyond the statistics, Ellington was known as a tremendous leader who displayed remarkable selflessness and grit. He played the final four games of his Georgia State career with a torn ACL in his right knee.
A native of Olive Branch, Mississippi, Ellington starred at Center Hill High School. He graduated from Georgia State University with a degree in education in 2020.
"It is great to bring in another bright young coach who has experience coaching multiple positions and has been a coordinator at the junior college level," said Bielema. "Coach Ellington comes highly recommended from around the coaching world. We're excited to get him to Champaign."
"I'm extremely excited to join Coach Bielema's staff and the Illinois football program," said Ellington. "I'm so thankful for the opportunity Coach Bielema has given me. I have been a fan of his for a while, and I have seen nothing but greatness from him. Big things are happening here in Champaign, and I am honored to be a part of this program. My fiancée Angela and I are very thrilled to be here!"
Ellington helped Itawamba to a 6-3 record as the team's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2024, the program's best season since 2017, when Ellington was a standout player for ICC. Ellington was the 2017 MACCC Player of the Year and a junior college All-American as a player at Itawamba, before he finished his standout playing career at Georgia State.
Ellington helped Georgia State to some of its best seasons in program history when he was on the offensive staff from 2020-23 and a player from 2018-19. Georgia State won 25 games over Ellington's four-year stretch on staff, including victories in the 2020 LendingTree Bowl, 2021 Camellia Bowl, and 2023 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. He coached the team's running backs for his first two seasons from 2020-21, before transitioning to tight ends coach from 2022-23.
In his first two seasons on the staff, Ellington coached three All-Sun Belt Conference running backs who each gained over 750 yards. In 2021, his All-Sun Belt backs Tucker Gregg and Jamyest Williams combined for more than 1,800 yards rushing as the Panthers ranked No. 8 in FBS in rushing with 226.4 yards per game, the second-best figure in program history. Gregg (953 yards) and Williams (859) produced GSU's second and third-highest season totals, and Williams set a school record with 6.7 yards per carry. In 2020, Ellington was part of an offensive staff that led Georgia State to a school-record scoring average of 33.3 points, along with nearly 200 rushing yards per game.
A former Georgia State quarterback, Ellington was named to the Panthers' staff in May 2020 after completing his playing career as the Panthers' starting quarterback for two seasons from 2018-19.
A two-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection as a dual-threat quarterback, Ellington set numerous program records and milestones. He finished with Georgia State's highest career completion percentage (62.0%), while ranking second all-time with 34 touchdowns passes. He ranks third in program history in nearly every other major passing category, including 4,566 career yards passing on 401 career completions with just 13 interceptions. He also finished fourth on the Georgia State career rushing list with 1,293 yards and 11 touchdowns during his career.
As a senior in 2019, Ellington passed for 2,447 yards and 22 touchdowns and rushed for 668 yards and six scores to lead Georgia State to seven victories and a bowl berth. He authored one of the signature moments in Georgia State sports history when he led the Panthers to their season-opening 38-30 victory at Tennessee in 2019 with 200 yards of total offense, two touchdown passes, and one rushing touchdown.
Beyond the statistics, Ellington was known as a tremendous leader who displayed remarkable selflessness and grit. He played the final four games of his Georgia State career with a torn ACL in his right knee.
A native of Olive Branch, Mississippi, Ellington starred at Center Hill High School. He graduated from Georgia State University with a degree in education in 2020.
