Elliott Uzelac
Encyclopedia
Elliot Uzelac is an American football
coach. Most recently he was the head coach as St. Joseph High School
in St. Joseph, Michigan
. Uzelac was the head coach at Western Michigan University
from 1975 to 1981 and at the United States Naval Academy
from 1987 to 1989. He compiled a 38–39 record at Western Michigan and an 8–25 record with Navy.
, Uzelac played high school football at Tolleston High School
. He graduated from Western Michigan University
in 1964 with a degree in physical education. A knee injury ended his football playing career before he could letter at Western Michigan but he was Mid-American Conference
outdoor shot put
champion as a senior.
, Indiana University, Ohio State University
, the University of Colorado
, the University of Kentucky
, the University of Minnesota
, the University of Maryland
, and the NFL
's Cleveland Browns
. Most stops were for one or two years, while the longest he stayed at any one school was his seven-year tenure as head coach at Western Michigan University. Along the way he has coached under or alongside Bo Schembechler
, Lloyd Carr
, Bill McCartney
, Don Nehlen
, Bill Mallory
, Les Miles
, and Bill Belicheck.
While head coach at Navy, Uzelac had several notable assistants, including Tom Amstutz
, Chuck Bresnahan
, Steve Belichick
, Dean Pees
, and Carl Reese
. Some assistants had connections to the University of Michigan
as either past or future coaches, including Fred Jackson
, Greg Mattison
, and Mike Trgovac
.
While Uzelac has had number of stints in college football
as a head coach and as an assistant, his most famous incident occurred in 1991 while he was the offensive coordinator
at Ohio State
. Uzelac encouraged and pressured players to skip class so they could make practice. This prioritization of football over academics did not sit well with Robert Smith, future Minnesota Vikings
running back, who spoke up about the issue. As a result, Smith sat out the season. The next season Uzelac was fired and Smith returned to the team.
He was head coach at Logan (WV) HS in 1966-67, compiling a 16-4 record and winning a league championship.
From 2002–2003, Uzelac coached football at St. John's College High School
in Washington, D.C.
In April 2006, Uzelac returned to the state of Michigan to coach at St. Joseph High School
. Uzelac led the Bears to a 6–5 record in 2006 after the team went 0–9 the previous season. During the 2007 season, Uzelac led the Bears to a 9–0 regular season record and the Final Four of Michigan high school football. The team won the Big 16 Conference and was named the West Division champions, Division 3 district champions, and Division 3 regional champions. Coach Uzelac was also named 2007 High School Coach of the Year by the Michigan Associated Press. In 2008, Uzelac led the Bears to another 9–0 season and another Big 16 Conference title. The team was ranked #1 in the state for their undefeated season in Division 3.
He resigned as head coach at. St. Joseph on June 29, 2011, with a record of 45-13.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach. Most recently he was the head coach as St. Joseph High School
St. Joseph High School (St. Joseph, Michigan)
St. Joseph High School is a public high school located in Saint Joseph, Michigan. It is the only public high school in the . The school's mascot is the Bear and its primary athletic rival is Lakeshore High School.School Motto:...
in St. Joseph, Michigan
St. Joseph, Michigan
St. Joseph is a city in the US state of Michigan. It was incorporated as a village in 1834 and as a city in 1891. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,789. It lies on the shore of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the St. Joseph River, about east-northeast of Chicago. It is the county...
. Uzelac was the head coach at Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
from 1975 to 1981 and at the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
from 1987 to 1989. He compiled a 38–39 record at Western Michigan and an 8–25 record with Navy.
Playing career
A native of Gary, IndianaGary, Indiana
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...
, Uzelac played high school football at Tolleston High School
Tolleston Middle School
Tolleston Middle School is a three year public middle school of the Gary Community School Corporation in Gary, Indiana, United States.- History :...
. He graduated from Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
in 1964 with a degree in physical education. A knee injury ended his football playing career before he could letter at Western Michigan but he was Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
outdoor shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
champion as a senior.
College coaching career
Before St. Joseph, Uzelac coached at Bowling Green University, the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, Indiana University, Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
, the University of Colorado
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
, the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
, the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
, the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
, and the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Most stops were for one or two years, while the longest he stayed at any one school was his seven-year tenure as head coach at Western Michigan University. Along the way he has coached under or alongside Bo Schembechler
Bo Schembechler
Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler, Jr. was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1989, compiling a career record of 234–65–8...
, Lloyd Carr
Lloyd Carr
Lloyd H. Carr is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Michigan from 1995 through the 2007 season. Under Carr, the Wolverines compiled a record of 122–40 and won or shared five Big Ten Conference titles...
, Bill McCartney
Bill McCartney
William Paul McCartney is a former American football player and coach and the founder of the Promise Keepers men's ministry. He was the head coach at the University of Colorado from 1982 to 1994, where he compiled a record of 93–55–5 and won three consecutive Big Eight Conference...
, Don Nehlen
Don Nehlen
Don Nehlen is a former American football player and coach. He was head football coach at Bowling Green State University and at West Virginia University . Nehlen retired from coaching college football in 2001 with a career record of 202–128–8 and as the 17th winningest coach in...
, Bill Mallory
Bill Mallory
William G. "Bill" Mallory is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Miami University , the University of Colorado at Boulder , Northern Illinois University , and Indiana University , compiling a career college football record of...
, Les Miles
Les Miles
Leslie Edwin "Les" Miles, nicknamed "The Mad Hatter", is an American college football coach and the current head coach of the Louisiana State University football team. Prior to holding that position, he was head coach at Oklahoma State...
, and Bill Belicheck.
While head coach at Navy, Uzelac had several notable assistants, including Tom Amstutz
Tom Amstutz
Tom Amstutz was the head football coach at the University of Toledo. He is one of Toledo's most popular figures, known as 'Toledo Tom.' Amstutz was Toledo's head football coach from 2001 to 2008, and posted a 58-41 record, including a 39-24 record in conference play...
, Chuck Bresnahan
Chuck Bresnahan
Charles "Chuck" Bresnahan is an American football coach. He is the current defensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League....
, Steve Belichick
Steve Belichick
-External links:...
, Dean Pees
Dean Pees
Dean Pees is an American football coach who is currently the linebackers coach for the Baltimore Ravens. Pees is also a former head coach at Kent State University.-College:...
, and Carl Reese
Carl Reese
Carl Reese is an American football coach. Regarded as a defensive mastermind, Reese served as defensive coordinator for 31 years at six different schools and one USFL team. Following the 2003 season, Reese retired from coaching. In 2009, he accepted the defensive cooordinator position at Miami ,...
. Some assistants had connections to the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
as either past or future coaches, including Fred Jackson
Fred Jackson (American football coach)
Fred Jackson is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the running backs coach at the University of Michigan and is the longest tenured member of the Michigan Wolverines football coaching staff, having been with the program since 1992. Jackson has served on the staffs of...
, Greg Mattison
Greg Mattison
Greg Mattison is an American football coach and former player in the United States. He is the current defensive coordinator for the University of Michigan football team....
, and Mike Trgovac
Mike Trgovac
Michael Trgovac is the defensive line coach for the Green Bay Packers and the former defensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers...
.
While Uzelac has had number of stints in college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
as a head coach and as an assistant, his most famous incident occurred in 1991 while he was the offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
at Ohio State
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
. Uzelac encouraged and pressured players to skip class so they could make practice. This prioritization of football over academics did not sit well with Robert Smith, future Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
running back, who spoke up about the issue. As a result, Smith sat out the season. The next season Uzelac was fired and Smith returned to the team.
High school coaching career
Uzelac began his coaching career as an assistant at Chesterton (IN) High School in 1964.He was head coach at Logan (WV) HS in 1966-67, compiling a 16-4 record and winning a league championship.
From 2002–2003, Uzelac coached football at St. John's College High School
St. John's College High School
St. John's College High School in Washington, D.C., established in 1851, is the second oldest Catholic Christian Brother's school in the United States, and the oldest JROTC school. It was founded by Brother John of Mary, F.S.C., and two other Christian Brothers in St. Matthew's parish, 15th and G...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
In April 2006, Uzelac returned to the state of Michigan to coach at St. Joseph High School
St. Joseph High School (St. Joseph, Michigan)
St. Joseph High School is a public high school located in Saint Joseph, Michigan. It is the only public high school in the . The school's mascot is the Bear and its primary athletic rival is Lakeshore High School.School Motto:...
. Uzelac led the Bears to a 6–5 record in 2006 after the team went 0–9 the previous season. During the 2007 season, Uzelac led the Bears to a 9–0 regular season record and the Final Four of Michigan high school football. The team won the Big 16 Conference and was named the West Division champions, Division 3 district champions, and Division 3 regional champions. Coach Uzelac was also named 2007 High School Coach of the Year by the Michigan Associated Press. In 2008, Uzelac led the Bears to another 9–0 season and another Big 16 Conference title. The team was ranked #1 in the state for their undefeated season in Division 3.
He resigned as head coach at. St. Joseph on June 29, 2011, with a record of 45-13.