Football
- Title:
- Director of Football Administration/Chief of Staff
- Phone:
- 765-285-0062
- Email:
- blellis@bsu.edu
- Alma Mater:
- Southern Miss '03
- Years at Ball State:
- 8th season in 2023
Currently in his eighth year at Ball State, Byron Ellis is a seasoned professional in football administration, joining the university in 2016 as the director of football administration/chief of staff and earning promotion to his current role as general manager in 2022.
In addition to his role with the Cardinals, Ellis has been selected for national leadership duties with the American Football Coaches Association, named to the national football operations committee in April of 2022 where he represents Mid-American Conference football administrators and operations personnel on the national level.
He was recognized for outstanding contribution at Ball State, receiving the program’s 12th Man of the Year Award in 2020 as testament to dedication and impact on the university during the Cardinals’ MAC championship season while under the cloud of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Before his tenure at Ball State, Ellis was the director of football operations at Tulane from 2012 to 2015.
Prior to that, he held the position of director of football operations with the Omaha Nighthawks in the United Football League (UFL) in 2011. He worked as the director of football administration in the UFL in 2010 and served as its coordinator of football operations/player personnel in 2009.
Upon graduation from Southern Miss in 2003, Ellis began his professional career over five years with the New Orleans Saints and the New Orleans VooDoo of the Arena Football League. He was an operations assistant for two seasons with the Saints before elevated to stadium operations supervisor for a year. He transitioned to his post as football operations supervisor for the VooDoo over the next two years.
It was during his time in New Orleans with the Saints and VooDoo that he forged a valuable relationship with Ball State head coach Mike Neu – then the VooDoo’s head coach. They later worked together at Tulane and now at Ball State. Ellis and Neu have worked side-by-side over seven years in Muncie and 13 years overall.
