“There’s no easy route for us,” stated Jerritt Elliott. After having an 18-6 record in the regular season, the Texas Longhorns’ coach’s words seemed to be justified. But being the master in the Longhorns house, he has something to take care of. In the last two years, his mentees toppled every barrier to win the NCAA volleyball championship title. This time, they have an option to make it three. The route nonetheless doesn’t seem to be a cakewalk. Rather, it stands to be more complicated than last year. In the Sweet 16 of the Race of Rose, Elliott’s squad will have to face two top teams in the league: the No. 2 Creighton and No. 1 Penn State in away games. 

Last year, Jerritt Elliott’s team countered two teams in Regionals who didn’t have the same shine as Penn State and Creighton possess this time. Yet the veteran coach is hopeful to make it to the main play. He ultimately said, “I think we’re very confident right now.” What is the reason behind his raw confidence? A stunning career? Or family support? Here is everything about him. 

Meet Texas Longhorns head coach Jerritt Elliott and his family

Born and raised in California, Jerritt Elliott didn’t have any connection with the coaching profession, nor did he have anything such with Texas. Rather, at Cal State Northridge, he completed his bachelor’s in kinesiology. In those years, he competed in collegiate volleyball at Pepperdine from 1986 to 1988 and at Hawai’i during the 1989-90 academic year. The volleyball connection had also been there for him in his high school years. How? Being a native of Pacific Palisades, he went to Palisades High School, where he was teammates with Kent Steffes, who won a gold medal in beach volleyball at the 1996 U.S. Olympics. Apart from that, in his senior year, Elliott earned an All-L.A. City second-team selection while helping Palisades achieve a perfect 36-0 record. Those remained the bridges for him, connecting him to the sport. His family also shares a link with volleyball.

On March 11, 2018, Elliott tied the knot with Andrea Nucete-Elliott. The couple has a daughter, Kahle, and two sons, Parker and Mack. However, Andrea has had a connection with beach volleyball. Born in Venezuela and raised in Italy, she enjoyed a lengthy career as an indoor volleyball pro. But in 2015-16, she changed the flow of the stream and shifted to beach volleyball. Even the couple came closer, all thanks to volleyball. Andrea feels special joy when recalling this instance. In one of her interviews, she said, “When I moved to the United States, he invited me to SXSW in Austin, and we have been a couple ever since! Maybe just love at first sight!” That’s all about bonding over volleyball. Jerritt Elliott has also a bond with his profession, starting from the plinth of the role. 

Jerritt Elliott’s major teams, career highlights, and achievements

Jerritt Elliott’s initial coaching experience came at the collegiate level as an assistant for the Cal State Northridge men’s volleyball team in 1993. During that season, the Matadors reached the NCAA Championship match. But they ultimately fell short against UCLA. The lesson came bitterly. Yet, it gave a start to his magnificent career. However, a better episode followed later. 

After a long gap, Elliott received significant recognition when he was named the head coach of the USA Junior National Team for the summer of 2001. However, because of his commitment to Texas, Elliott could not continue in his position with USA Volleyball. He had to draw a line in his stint. But before that, he served as an assistant coach for the 1998 U.S. Junior National Team, which secured the NORCECA gold medal and earned a spot in the World Championships. Meanwhile, his sweet journey in college volleyball didn’t face any heat. Soon, he had a call from USC to join the hot seat.

Before serving as interim head coach for two years, Elliott was an assistant coach at USC for four years under head coach Lisa Love. During his time as an assistant, Elliott contributed to the Women of Troy‘s success, helping them achieve a top 15 national ranking each of those four years. He also played a key role in the development of Jasmina Marinkovic, a two-time All-American middle blocker. Next, the history came into being. Jerritt Elliott was all set to join the Longhorns. 

The coach came to Texas in the spring of 2001. His job didn’t allow him any additional moment to breathe. Rather, challenge followed him, and he responded to that accordingly. In his opening season in Texas, Elliott led the Longhorns to three victories over Top 25 teams, including a dramatic come-from-behind win 3-2 against then-No. 11 BYU during the second match of the season. Additionally, he played a key role in the development of the nationally recognized freshman duo of Mira Topic and Bethany Howden. Both of them received ASICS/Volleyball Magazine Freshman All-American accolades. But that did not set him at the top of the league. He had to wait for another ten years to taste the massive success. 

In 2012, the Texas Longhorns made it two out of two under the tutelage of Elliott. First, the conference ended for them with a smooth run of having a record 15-1. Later, the Longhorns ended the season with a 29-4 run and the NCAA trophy in hand. The charismatic run continued the next year. 

In 2013, the Longhorns came back breathing fire. Under Elliott’s leadership, the program achieved their first-ever preseason No. 1 ranking in the program’s history. Maintaining the nation’s top spot for a significant portion of the year, Texas defeated all of its conference rivals, resulting in the program’s first flawless season in the Big 12 Conference. It also entered the 2013 NCAA Championship following a remarkable streak of 19 consecutive victories. But in the semifinal, Wisconsin knocked out the Longhorns, and the streak ended.

But the shining never stopped. In the next ten years, Elliott’s team secured the conference’s top seat eight times. Compared to that, the NCAA tournament seemed to be a rough experience for the 56-year-old coach. After 2012, he had to wait ten years to take the crown in the Race for the Roses. In 2022, the Longhorns made it to the program’s 14th Final Four and claimed the victory against San Diego in a challenging semifinal contest. Later, the squad defeated Louisville in the National Championship match held in Omaha, Nebraska. In 2023, Elliott and Texas Volleyball achieved a remarkable feat accomplished by only eight other Longhorn teams in history—they claimed consecutive National Championships. Now, in 2024, things are on the plate. Will he be able to turn the tide once again? The authority has a huge trust in him. They have already handed him something massive. 

The volleyball coach signs a lucrative contract with the Longhorns in 2024

In March of this year, Elliott secured a contract extension that will allow him to lead the Longhorns until 2029. With a total compensation of $800,000 (excluding performance bonuses), he has become the highest-paid college volleyball coach. Previously, the Nebraska coach, John Cook, held the top position in the sport with a base salary of $750,000 for 2024. But Elliott’s fresh deal has dethroned him. The statement, however, has come with several stunning factors.

Interestingly, the revised contract reduces Elliott’s base salary from $557,500 to $500,000. Nonetheless, Elliott is set to earn $300,000 in 2024 for “Professional Services Payments.” This category encompasses sub-licensing of intellectual property and compensation for personal and media appearances. Such provisions are more frequently found in coaching contracts for football and basketball. But these are relatively new in the volleyball sector. Per the conditions, these payments will rise each year, reaching a peak of $425,000 by 2029. The base salary, however, will remain unchanged throughout this period.

With the updated contract, Elliott has also been given the position of Director of Volleyball along with his role as Head Volleyball Coach. According to the contract terms, he will lead Texas’ indoor team and manage the second-year beach program while working with Stein Metzger. The deal has also made sure that Elliott will earn bonuses contingent on the performance of each program. That seems to be the most groundbreaking offer ever made to a college volleyball coach. Well, that is a token price of Jerritt Elliott’s success. Isn’t it?