Football
- Title:
- Recruiting Coordinator/Defensive Line
Mike Elston is in his second season as the program's defensive line coach in 2023. He returned to his alma mater prior to the 2022 season after accumulating 21 years of full-time coaching experience in the Midwest.
In his first year leading the defensive line, Elston helped four Wolverines earn All-Big Ten honors, including first-team selections Mike Morris and Mazi Smith. Morris was named the Smith-Brown Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year and picked up second-team All-America honors from two organizations.
The Michigan defense ranked top-25 in eight areas, including sixth in total defense and seventh in run defense, allowing fewer than 100 rush yards per game on average. Morris (7.5 sacks), Smith (48 tackles), Kris Jenkins (54 tackles), and Jaylen Harrell (7.5 TFL) were among eight defensive linemen who set new career highs in tackles, tackles for loss, or both in Elston’s first season (does include freshmen). Nine U-M defensive linemen recorded two or more TFLs, including first-year players Mason Graham and Derrick Moore.
Elston returned to U-M for his second stint as part of the coaching staff. A three-year letter-winner for the Maize and Blue from 1993-96, Elston contributed 29 tackles over his final two seasons. He was part of teams that accumulated a 35-16 four-year record under head coaches Gary Moeller (1993-94) and Lloyd Carr (1995-95) and won postseason games in the Hall of Fame Bowl following the 1993 season and the Holiday Bowl following the 1994 season.
Elston spent the past 12 seasons at Notre Dame, where he has helped the Irish appear in 11 bowl games, including two College Football Playoff semifinal appearances and one BCS National Championship game. He worked with 12 NFL draftees at Notre Dame, including five players drafted in the past three years (2019-21). The Irish played in a New Year's Six Bowl Game, BCS National Championship, or the College Football Playoff four times in his 12 seasons with the program.
Elston had been part of the staff at Notre Dame since the 2010 season, working with the defensive line in 10 of 12 seasons and the linebackers during the 2015-16 campaigns. He was the team's recruiting coordinator for four years (2015-17, '21) and was the special teams coordinator for his first two seasons in South Bend (2010-11). Last season in 2021, Elston was also the defense's run game coordinator. He was elevated to Associate Head Coach prior to the 2018 season, the second time in his career he held that title.
In 2021, Elston helped direct a defense that ranked top-30 in five major areas, including pass efficiency defense (23rd), scoring defense (15th), interceptions (14th), sacks (13th), third down conversion rate allowed (10th), and defensive touchdowns (seventh). The Irish played in the 2022 PlayStation Fiesta Bowl and finished the year ranked eighth in the final edition of the Associated Press Poll and ninth in the AFCA Coaches' Poll.
Over the last five seasons, the Irish defense has averaged 32.6 sacks per season. The line produced just 3.0 sacks in 2016 before Elston took the group back over in 2017. The defensive line group improved to 16.5 sacks in 2017 and then produced 23.5 sacks in 2018.
The 2019 Irish defense ranked top-25 in the FBS in 11 areas including top-five in pass efficiency defense (fourth), passing yards allowed/attempt (tied-third), and touchdown passes allowed (tied-second). The following year in 2020, Notre Dame finished the year top-20 in seven major areas including top-15 marks in rushing defense (15th), tackles for loss (14th), scoring defense (14th), and third down conversion rate allowed (sixth). The defensive line helped lead a six-game stretch in which the team did not concede any 100-yard rushing performances.
Following his playing days, Elston was a student assistant coach at Michigan for the 1997 National Championship season, and changed his duties to video intern for the 1998 season. He stepped into a graduate assistant role working with outside linebackers for the 1999 and 2000 seasons, then accepted the same position at Eastern Michigan in 2001.
Elston spent three years at Eastern Michigan, the latter two as recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach (2002-03) and then moved to the MAC West to work at Central Michigan from 2004-06. Elston began with the Chips as the defensive line coach and added the title of Co-Defensive Coordinator in his second year. While leading the defensive line, he helped Dan Bazuin lead the nation with 26.5 tackles for loss and a MAC-record 16.0 sacks. Elston third year at CMU saw him coaching linebackers and he changed from co-coordinating the defense to being the team's Special Teams Coordinator. He helped guide two linebackers to earn All-MAC honors in 2006 including the league leader in tackles.
Elston would continue coordinating special teams units for the next five seasons; first at Cincinnati (2007-09), then at Notre Dame (2010-11). At Cincinnati, he worked with the tight ends his first two seasons and was the program's recruiting coordinator. Elston's last year with the Bearcats saw him elevated to Assistant Head Coach while retaining special teams duties and coaching the defensive line.
He coached returner Mardy Gilyard to the Big East Special Teams Player of the Year honors in consecutive seasons for Cincinnati (2008-09) after helping punter Kevin Huber win the honor in 2007. Huber reached Associated Press All-America status twice (2007-08) including consensus honors in 2007. Cincinnati became the fourth team in FBS history to lead the nation in net punting in consecutive seasons.
Elston and his wife, Beth, are the parents of three daughters: Olivia, Sophia and Isabella.
COACHING EXPERIENCE
| Year | Team | Position |
| 1997 | Michigan | Student Assistant Coach |
| 1998 | Michigan | Video Intern |
| 1999-2000 | Michigan | Graduate Assistant Coach (OLBs) |
| 2001 | Eastern Michigan | Defensive Ends |
| 2002-03 | Eastern Michigan | Recruiting Coordinator/Defensive Line |
| 2004 | Central Michigan | Defensive Line |
| 2005 | Central Michigan | Co-Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line |
| 2006 | Central Michigan | Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers |
| 2007-08 | Cincinnati | Recruiting Coordinator/Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends |
| 2009 | Cincinnati | Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator/Defensive Line |
| 2010-11 | Notre Dame | Special Teams Coordinator/Defensive Line |
| 2012-14 | Notre Dame | Defensive Line |
| 2015-16 | Notre Dame | Recruiting Coordinator/Linebackers |
| 2017 | Notre Dame | Recruiting Coordinator/Defensive Line |
| 2018-20 | Notre Dame | Associate Head Coach/Defensive Line |
| 2021 | Notre Dame | Recruiting Coordinator/Run Game Coordinator/Defensive Line |
| 2022- | Michigan | Recruiting Coordinator/Defensive Line |
BOWL EXPERIENCE
| Season | School | Bowl Game |
| 1998 | Michigan | Rose Bowl |
| 1999 | Michigan | Citrus Bowl |
| 2000 | Michigan | Orange Bowl |
| 2001 | Michigan | Citrus Bowl |
| 2006 | Central Michigan | Motor City Bowl |
| 2007 | Cincinnati | Papajohns.com Bowl |
| 2009 | Cincinnati | Orange Bowl |
| 2010 | Cincinnati | Sugar Bowl |
| 2010 | Notre Dame | Sun Bowl |
| 2011 | Notre Dame | Champs Sports Bowl |
| 2012 | Notre Dame | BCS National Championship Game |
| 2013 | Notre Dame | Pinstripe Bowl |
| 2014 | Notre Dame | Music City Bowl |
| 2015 | Notre Dame | Fiesta Bowl |
| 2017 | Notre Dame | Citrus Bowl |
| 2018 | Notre Dame | Cotton Bowl (CFP Semifinal) |
| 2019 | Notre Dame | Camping World Bowl |
| 2021 | Notre Dame | Rose Bowl (CFP Semifinal) |
| 2022 | Michigan | Fiesta Bowl (CFP Semifinal) |
THE ELSTON FILE
Hometown: St. Mary's, Ohio
High School: Memorial High School
College: Michigan (1998)
Wife: Beth (Broyles)
Children: Olivia, Sophia and Isabella
