Luther Elliss is in his fifth season as an assistant coach at the University of Idaho. Elliss, a Pro Bowl defensive tackle and a consensus All-American during his playing days, serves as the Vandals’ defensive line coach.
Both Jonah Kim and Rahsaan Crawford took home All-Big Sky Honorable Mention accolades for their efforts during the 2021 spring season. The Vandal front seven was something to be reckoned with in 2021, and helped Idaho lead the conference in rushing defense.
Elliss continued to grow the defensive line in 2019. Led by veterans Crawford and Kayode Rufai, the Vandal defense was effective in stopping the run and putting the pressure on the quarterback all season long. Newcomers Kim and Noah Elliss also made immediate impacts with the program.
In his first season on staff, Elliss helped take Idaho's talented defensive line to the next level. Led by two all-conference selections up front in Aikeem Coleman (first team) and Arie Anderson (honorable mention), the Vandals ranked in the top-five of the league in tackles for loss (third), fumbles recovered (fourth), points allowed (fourth), total defense (fifth) and sacks (fifth).
Coleman tallied 57 tackles, including 14 for loss and seven sacks during his senior campaign in 2017. He was on the preseason watch lists for the Nagurski Trophy and the Ted Hendricks Award. Coleman earned an invite to mini camp with the Oakland Raiders.
“Luther has been a tremendous addition to our staff,” said head coach Paul Petrino. “He knows the game inside and out – and he’s an excellent teacher and motivator. He’s a great leader of young men and an outstanding role model.”
In his second season, Elliss helped D.J. Henderson grow into a second-team All-Big Sky selection. Henderson recorded 24 tackles, seven tackles for loss and two sacks while playing a variety of positions along the defensive line. Idaho's defense racked up 21 sacks in 2018.
During his first two seasons on staff, two of Elliss' sons, Kaden and Christian, played linebacker for the Vandals. Kaden Elliss finished his career as one of Idaho's all-time leading tacklers and was selected 244th overall by the New Orleans Saints in the 2019 NFL Draft. He became the first Vandal drafted since 2012 (Korey Toomer).
Elliss, a native of Mancos, Colo., was a consensus All-American at the University of Utah in 1994 and a first-round draft choice of the Detroit Lions. He earned All-Western Athletic Conference honors in 1992, 1993 and 1994, and was the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1994.
After being selected with the 20th overall pick in the 1995 NFL Draft, he went on to star for the Detroit Lions for the next nine seasons. He started 119 of 134 regular-season games and had 331 tackles and 29 sacks in a career that included selection to the 1999 and 2000 Pro Bowls. He played his final professional season with the Denver Broncos.
He and his wife, Rebecca, have 12 children – seven of whom are adopted. Prior to joining the Vandals, he spent two seasons as the team chaplain for the Denver Broncos.
