Football
- Title:
- Quarterbacks
- Phone:
- 740-4204
Bryan Ellis, one of the top quarterbacks in Alabama-Birmingham history, is in his first year as USC's quarterbacks coach. He was named to the fulltime staff in January of 2018.
Ellis, 29, handled the quarterbacks coach duties on an interim basis for USC in the 2017 Cotton Bowl. Prior to that, he served as USC's offensive quality control assistant in 2017, working with the quarterbacks. Quarterback Sam Darnold set season passing yardage and total offense yardage records in 2017, then was the No. 3 pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Ellis came to USC after helping coach Western Kentucky's prolific offenses for 3 seasons (2014-16). He was an offensive quality control coach in his first year at Western Kentucky in 2014, assisting quarterbacks coach Tyson Helton as WKU played in the Bahamas Bowl. Brandon Doughty led the nation in passing yards (4,380) and touchdowns (49) in 2014 while winning the Sammy Baugh Award as the nation's top quarterback. Ellis then was WKU's running backs coach in 2015 (the team played in the Miami Beach Bowl), as Anthony Wales ran for 1,086 yards and D'Andre Ferby made the Conference USA All-Freshman team. In 2016, Ellis was the Hilltoppers' wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator, as Taywan Taylor had 98 catches for 1,730 yards with 17 TDs and Nicholas Norris added 76 receptions for 1,318 yards with 14 TDs (the Hilltoppers threw for 4,715 yards and 42 scores). Due to a coaching change, Ellis served as WKU's offensive coordinator in the 2016 Boca Raton Bowl and helped the Hilltoppers roll up 51 points and 598 total yards in a victory over Memphis.
Before that, Ellis was an offensive graduate assistant at Alabama-Birmingham, his alma mater, for 2 seasons (2012-13).
He had an injury-plagued career as a quarterback at Alabama-Birmingham (2007-11), playing for head coach Neil Callaway (currently USC's offensive line coach). After redshirting in 2007 and not seeing action in 2008 due to a shoulder injury, he saw brief action in 1 game as a 2009 sophomore. He then started the final 9 games of his 2010 junior season, completing 231-of-411 passes (56.2%) for 2,940 yards and 25 TDs. That season when he ranked 18th nationally in passing yards (267.3) and made All-Conference USA honorable mention, he threw for 350-plus yards 4 times and had 3-plus TD passes in 6 games. He appeared in only 4 early-season games as a senior in 2011 due to a concussion and then a season-ending wrist injury, throwing for 743 yards and 2 TDs on 67-of-127 passing (52.8%). He finished his UAB career in the school's all-time Top 5 in passing yards (3,697) and TD passes (27).
Ellis earned his bachelor's degree in history for Alabama-Birmingham in 2011.
He spent his 2006 senior year of high school at Peach County High in Fort Valley (Ga.), where he was the Atlanta Journal Constitution's AAA State Offensive Player of the Year while leading his team to the Class AAA state championship. Before that, he played at Tiftarea Academy in Chula (Ga.).
Ellis was born on Sept. 13, 1988. He and his wife, Janie, have a newborn daughter, Zoe.
ELLIS SNAPSHOT
BIRTHDAY: Sept. 13, 1988
FAMILY: Wife, Janie; Daughter, Zoe, newborn
HIGH SCHOOL: Peach County HS, Fort Valley, Ga.
EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree, history, Alabama-Birmingham, 2011
PLAYING EXPERIENCE: Peach County HS, Fort Valley, Ga.
Alabama-Birmingham, quarterback, 2007-11
COACHING EXPERIENCE: 5 years
| YEAR | TEAM | POSITION | BOWL |
| 2012 | Alabama-Birmingham | Offensive Graduate Assistant | -- |
| 2013 | Alabama-Birmingham | Offensive Graduate Assistant | -- |
| 2014 | Western Kentucky | Offensive Quality Control | Bahamas |
| 2015 | Western Kentucky | Running Backs | Miami Beach |
| 2016 | Western Kentucky | Wide Receivers/Passing Game Coord.* | Boca Raton |
| 2017 | USC | Offensive Quality Control** | Cotton** |
**Served as quarterbacks coach in bowl game
NFL STARS: Taywan Taylor
