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Former Iowa, Nebraska assistant coach Bobby Elliott dies at 64

Dustin Schutte

By Dustin Schutte

Published:

One of the most prominent men associated with Iowa football has died.

Bobby Elliott, a former Hawkeye player and later an assistant coach, passed away Saturday of complications with cancer. He was 64.

Elliott was a defensive back for Iowa from 1972-75 and was an academic All-American his final two seasons. After making stops at Kent State, Ball State, Iowa State and North Carolina, Elliott returned to Iowa City in 1987 and was on staff through 1998. He served as a secondary coach, defensive coordinator and assistant head coach under Hayden Fry.

Health issues surfaced towards the end of his stint with the Hawkeyes and would continue to arise throughout the rest of his life. But Elliott didn’t let that stand in the way of his passion for football. He continued to coach, making other stops at San Diego State, Iowa State (again) and Notre Dame.

Most recently, Elliott was hired as the safeties coach at Nebraska in February this year. Due to his health condition, though, Elliott took a leave from the position.

According to HawkCentral.com, Elliott passed away in Iowa City.

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB