David Elsenrath
Now in his second tour of duty with the Valdosta State football program, David Elsenrath, who serves as the Blazers' offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator, is no stranger to the demands of involved with a winning collegiate football program. After all, Elsenrath has spent more than 28 years in the collegiate ranks, both as a player and coach.
Elsenrath has been instrumental in the development of the Blazer offensive line over the last two seasons as he has guided the unit to two of its best showings in recent memory. His 2007 offensive line was instrumental in the Blazers establishing numerous school records en route to the school's second national championship. The line was successful in all facets as it aided the rushing attack to 2,360 yards while surrendering just 20 sacks on the year, the fewest since also allowing 20 during the 2001 season. Elsenrath's teaching ability was also evident on the individual level as tackle Gerald Davis earned All-Gulf South Conference honors after the season before signing with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League.
Elsenrath's teaching ability was even more evident in 2008 as four starters departed off of the previous year's squad. Under his direction, the revamped line steadily improved throughout the season, finishing the year having allowed just 24 sacks on the year while helping the Blazers average 380.8 yards and 28.3 points per game.
Elsenrath joined the Valdosta State staff after spending the last seven seasons at Tusculum, including the last two years as offensive coordinator. The Missouri native also worked as the quarterbacks and tight ends coach the last two seasons, during which the Pioneers tallied a cumulative record of 9-12. Overall, Tusculum was 46-28 with Elsenrath on the coaching staff, including a 26-23 mark in the SAC.
Elsenrath also spent five seasons as Tusculum's offensive line coach, a position he assumed upon joining the school in the spring of 2000 and held through the end of the 2004 season. He worked with six All-South Atlantic Conference honorees, including two All-Americans as offensive line coach. He coached former Pioneer Alan Dunn to back-to-back Jacobs Blocking Trophies, given annually to the top line man in the SAC, and the 2003 Jim Langer Award, an honor bestowed upon NCAA Division II's Offensive Lineman of the Year. Both Dunn and former Pioneer Felix Perez earned All-America honors under Elsenrath's tutelage while Dunn, Doug Holmberg, Mario Leon and Bull Brown earned invitations to postseason All-Star games.
Prior to Tusculum, Elsenrath spent three seasons as the head football coach at Adams State College in Alamosa, Colo. He led the Grizzlies to the most Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victories in school history and had two players named All-America. Additionally, three ASC players earned Academic All-America honors and 14 times a Grizzly was named to the RMAC All-Conference team. Twice in his three seasons a football player was named Adams State's Male Academic Student-Athlete of the Year.
The Grizzlies were 9-22 during Elsenrath's three seasons with the school, including an 8-16 mark in RMAC play. He improved the school from a 1-10 overall record his first season to a 4-6 mark the final two years. Likewise, the Grizzlies improved from 1-7 in the conference play his first year to 3-5 and finally 4-4 his final season.
Before taking over at Adams State, Elsenrath served three years as tight ends coach at Division I Eastern Kentucky. While at the Richmond, Ky. school, Elsenrath helped the school to a 25-11 record, including a 21-3 mark in Ohio Valley Conference play. The Colonels won the 1994 OVC title with a perfect 8-0 record and advanced to both the 1994 and 1995 NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.
Elsenrath wrapped a pair of graduate assistant jobs on the staffs of legendary coaches around his first job with the Blazers. He spent the 1992 and 1993 seasons as a graduate assistant coach for Howard Schnellenberger at Louisville, working with the offensive line while helping the team win the 1993 Liberty Bowl and also served two seasons on Pay Dye's staff at Auburn, where he worked as a defensive line coach for a team that played in the 1986 Citrus Bowl while working with the offensive line on the 1987 SEC Championship and Sugar Bowl participating team.
Elsenrath's first stint on the Blazer coaching staff stretched from 1988 through 1992 as he served as an assistant on Mike Cavan's staff. He worked with the tight ends and as an assistant offensive line coach his first two seasons before taking over the head offensive line coaching duties in 1990. He also served as the Blazers' recruiting coordinator all four seasons.
As a player, Elsenrath lettered at Missouri-Rolla. He graduated Cum Laude from the school with a Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences in 1985 and earned a Secondary Teacher Certificate from Missouri-Columbia later that year while acquiring a Master's of Education from Auburn in 1987.
Elsenrath, who turned 46 in July, is an active member in the American Football Coaches Association and has served on several committees in that role. He is married to the former Beth Calhoun of Sylvester, Ga., who earned both her undergraduate and Masters degrees in Education, with an emphasis in Behavior Disorders, from Valdosta State. The Elsenraths are the proud parents of twin sons, Andrew and Robert, who will turn six in November, as well as daughters Mary Day (4) and Clara Beth (2).
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