Former ISU assistant coach Bobby Elliott was named the football team’s new secondary coach and recruiting coordinator, the team announced Wednesday.

Elliott was hired to replace Chris Ash, who departed for the same position at Wisconsin after serving at Iowa State since 2000.

“Our family is excited to be coming back to Iowa State and working for Paul Rhoads,” Elliott said in a news release. “All of our family is in the state of Iowa, where the instate rivalries make it unique in college football. I can’t wait to get started.”

This will be the third time Elliott has been an assistant at Iowa State after stints under then-head coaches Donnie Duncan (1981–’82) and Dan McCarney (2000–’01).

Elliott served as the defensive coordinator and assistant coach at San Diego State from 2006 to 2008 before working in a different capacity inside the SDSU athletics department in 2009 — he served as a defensive coordinator for 11 seasons for four different teams before being hired at Iowa State.

“I am thrilled that we were able to make this happen,” ISU coach Paul Rhoads said. “He possesses everything I was looking for in a coach. Bobby is a great teacher on the field, builds strong relationships with his players and is a tenacious recruiter with extensive experience recruiting in California.”

Elliott first coached the secondary at Iowa State in 1982, and coached current ISU quarterback Austen Arnaud’s father, John, in the Big 8’s leading pass defense.

He then coached at Iowa from 1987–2000 when he joined McCarney’s staff at Iowa State. In Elliott’s two seasons under McCarney, the ISU defense intercepted a combined 28 passes and he coached three All-Big 12 performers in the secondary.