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Michigan defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Mike Elston watches against Indiana in the second half on Oct. 14, 2023. Elston, a St. Marys graduate, was a key cog in the Wolverines winning the College Football Championship.
Twenty-six years ago, St. Marys alumnus Mike Elston was a student assistant on the Michigan football team as it went undefeated and was named the national champion by the Associated Press.
Two weeks ago, he was on the sideline at NRG Stadium in Houston for the College Football Playoff championship game, helping coach the Wolverines' defense as it shut down Washington for a 34-13 victory and a return to the top of college football.
"That was the main goal from the beginning," he said. "That was what everybody spoke about. I haven't been on a team before that spoke about it as much as this team did, and to see it come to fruition is not surprising to anybody in this program."
Elston graduated from St. Marys in 1992, playing on two state title teams under coach Skip Baughman. At Michigan, he played outside linebacker under Lloyd Carr, and after injuries ended his playing career, he took the opportunity to help out on staff.
His first year, the Wolverines rolled to an undefeated record. Like this season, they were powered by the No. 1 defense in the country, filled with top-tier talent including Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson.
"Everyone on that defense back in 1997, I believe, was drafted and/or played in the NFL," Elston said. "Even though there's some underclassmen that can't declare for the draft after this year's game, I'd venture to say that everyone who started in that game will be drafted into the NFL."
In 1997, Elston held the title of student assistant coach and was tasked with watching and breaking down film and running the scout teams.
He hadn't planned on going into coaching, but that year on staff sold him on pursuing it long-term.
"My first year, we won the national championship," he said, "so I'm like, 'Why would I do anything else?' "
Elston spent the next three years as a video assistant and a graduate assistant working with the outside linebackers, then left for a role as an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan, working for four programs over the next 21 years.
Meanwhile, after Carr left in 2007, Michigan cycled through Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke before former Wolverines quarterback Jim Harbaugh took over in 2015.
"Jim Harbaugh is a phenomenal coach, phenomenal man," Elston said. "The coaches love him, the players love him. He's a great man to be on staff with."
Elston coached in several roles at Notre Dame over 11 years, but when coach Brian Kelly left for Louisiana State late in the 2021 season, he figured the time was right to move on as well.
"I wanted to get back to Michigan for many years," Elston said. "The thing that always stopped me was that I always had a great situation where I was, wherever I was, in particular at Notre Dame. Notre Dame's a tough place to leave."
In Elston's first year, the Wolverines lost in an upset to Texas Christian in the CFP semifinals.
This season, his unit brought back key players like edge rushers Braiden McGregor, Josaiah Stewart and Jaylen Harrell and defensive tackle Kris Jenkins, as well as sophomores Kenneth Grant, Derrick Moore and Mason Graham, who took on larger roles.
More than the top-tier talent, Elston pointed to depth as a key to their success.
"A season like this, it's going to be long, it's going to be 15 games," he said. "Our starters probably didn't play more than 25, 30 snaps a game, and our depth allowed us to rotate guys in."
Michigan became a national cynosure when Harbaugh took a self-imposed three-game suspension at the start of the year over an investigation of improper recruiting visits, then was suspended three games by the Big Ten to finish the regular season after reports emerged of an illegal scouting scheme allegedly masterminded by since-resigned analyst Connor Stalions.
Offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore took over for four of those games and kept the Wolverines undefeated, including a 30-24 win over Ohio State sealed when defensive back Rod Moore picked off Kyle McCord, who had Harrell bearing down on him.
Both times, Elston said that the suspensions changed little about his role or the program writ large. Harbaugh was allowed to coach during the week, and on game day, the responsibilities of most of the assistants stayed the same.
Despite the wider consternation, Elston said that the team never had to worry about losing focus.
"We knew what was real and what wasn't real," he said, "and (Harbaugh's) leadership allowed us to keep our focus during the week on the task we had at hand."
While the playoff was only implemented in 2014, Michigan's 1997 title dates back even before the Bowl Championship Series era. Those Wolverines beat Washington State 21-16 in the Rose Bowl to finish 12-0, but then watched Nebraska win big in the Orange Bowl for a 13-0 record, splitting the AP and coaches polls - and the national title.
This year, the Wolverines had the opportunity to claim an undisputed title on the field, starting in the Rose Bowl against fourth-ranked Alabama. Michigan had to rally in the fourth quarter, and after Blake Corum scored in overtime, the defense took over with a chance to secure a spot in the national title game.
Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe tried to run straight up the middle on fourth-and-2, but defensive back Will Johnson crashed into the middle of the line, Stewart and Moore beat their blockers, and Milroe was taken down two yards short of the goal line as the Wolverines finished a 27-20 win.
"(I had) the ultimate confidence," Elston said. "I was glad that they tried to attack us at that spot."
Elston said they got started the next morning on little sleep preparing for Washington's offense, which featured quarterback Michael Penix Jr., running back Dillon Johnson and three NFL-caliber receivers.
At NRG Stadium, where Elston said it felt like a home game, Michigan's defense rose to the test one more time. Penix, who was lauded for his poise in the semifinals against Texas, got rattled by the Wolverines' pressure.
"We relied on the four guys on the defensive front to create push and movement to put pressure on the quarterback, whereas against Alabama it was more five-man pressures, six-man pressures," Elston said. "There was a lot less of that against Washington, because we needed help in coverage with their prolific passing game."
After Penix brought the Huskies back within seven in the third quarter, Michigan answered with a touchdown, and defensive back Mike Sainistril intercepted Penix on the next possession.
Two plays later, Corum plunged in for his second touchdown, and it was 34-13.
"We looked at each other on the sideline, and it was a feeling of jubilation," Elston said. "We knew that it was going to be hard for them to come back from 21 points down with our defense."
Washington turned the ball over on downs one more time, and Michigan called one run and two kneel downs to drain the final 1:40.
As the clock hit triple zeros, the sideline erupted in pandemonium.
"Everybody was running around looking for somebody to celebrate with," Elston said. "I was looking for my family, players were looking for their families. Players were looking for coaches, coaches were looking for players.
"It was special. It was something you work your lifetime for, to be part of it."
After the title game, Elston said the coaching staff took few days for a breather to spend time with their families, then got right back on the recruiting trail.
For himself in the long run, Elston said he tries to stay in one place for at least a few years to give his family stability, and being on staff at his alma mater suits him.
"I'm pretty content to be here," he said.
