RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – The North Carolina State football program has found itself a new defensive coordinator – one with decades of experience in both the NFL and college level.
Veteran coach D.J. Eliot, who spent nearly a decade as a defensive coordinator at Kentucky, Colorado, Kansas and Temple, has accepted the same role with the Wolfpack coaching staff, the university announced Tuesday.
The 48-year-old assistant is heading to Raleigh after most recently serving as a defensive consultant at Baylor last season. Prior to his time with the Bears, Eliot was the linebackers coach for the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2023 season.
“D.J. is a great addition to our staff,” N.C. State head coach Dave Doeren said in a statement. “He has worked with some of the greatest minds in college football, mostly recently with Dave Aranda at Baylor. He brings a wide variety of experience schematically and as a former NFL coach, he knows what it takes to develop players so they can make it to the next level.”
“I am excited to work at a program that has enjoyed consistent success and under a proven head coach like Dave Doeren,” Eliot said. “I remember what a tough place to play Carter-Finley Stadium was as an opponent and can’t wait to be a part of that atmosphere.”
Eliot replaces long-time defensive coordinator Tony Gibson, who left following six years with the Wolfpack to become the new head coach at Marshall.
N.C. State’s defensive unit finished near the bottom of the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2024. The Wolfpack allowed 30.2 points and 391.6 yards per game, ranking No. 103 nationally in team defense.