Follow Coach Edwards on Twitter: @Coach___E
Recruiting Areas:
- North Carolina (Charlotte)
- Northeast Atlanta
Dovonte Edwards, who possesses five years of National Football League playing experience, begins his fourth season as a member of the Elon University football coaching staff under head coach Tony Trisciani in 2024. Edwards served as the defensive pass game coordinator while also coaching the Phoenix safeties in 2021. He was promoted to defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach for 2022.
In 2022, Elon’s defense was stout and opportunistic. The Phoenix ranked 19
th nationally in scoring defense, allowing 21.3 points per game. It was seventh in the country with 13 fumbles recovered and Elon was 21
st nationally in turnover margin. Elon was 13
th in the country in sacks and the Phoenix defense turned up the pressure to the tune of 11 quarterback sacks in a 27-3 win over UAlbany. Elon’s 26-0 win at Wofford was the team’s first shutout in five years and the defense held Wofford to just 128 yards of total offense. In Elon’s eight victories, opponents scored just 16 points in the second half – one touchdown and three field goals.
The 2023 team proved to have a similar identity to the year prior, again ranking in the top 25 in the country in turnover margin and quarterback sacks. Elon had 10 interceptions and eight fumble recoveries, scoring three defensive touchdowns, tied for No. 12 nationally. The Phoenix had an interception return for a touchdown against Wake Forest and had both interception and fumble returns for touchdown just six seconds apart in a win over Hampton. Twice, Elon held opponents without a touchdown, doing so in a 27-3 win over North Carolina A&T and in a 14-6 victory over then-No. 5 William & Mary.
Edwards has also produced top-end talent in his short time as defensive coordinator at Elon. In 2023, Caleb Curtain was named a Second Team All-American by FCS Stats Perform, the AFCA, the Associated Press and Phil Steele. Marcus Hillman was named an All-American by Walter Camp, Stats Perform, the Associated Press and HERO Sports in 2022, finishing fourth in the national voting for the Buck Buchanan Award, honoring the FCS Defensive Player of the Year, and was first team All-CAA. In total, Edwards helped to develop seven all-conference players in 2022 and 2023.
In his first year coaching the safeties in 2021, Edwards mentored Cole Coleman to first team all-conference honors. Coleman led the team with 71 tackles and added 4.0 tackles for loss and a sack. He had three forced fumbles and an interception during the season, along with three pass break-ups. The team’s other primary starting safety, Omar Rogers, had two interceptions and a forced fumble to go with his 46 tackles and a sack.
Prior to Elon, Edwards spent two seasons at North Carolina Central University as the defensive pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach since 2019. In 2019, he helped the Eagles post the 11th-best pass defense in the FCS while ranking 18
th in the country in interceptions. He also tutored three All-MEAC defensive backs including AFCA All-American Bryan Mills, who was also a first team All-MEAC and a Reese’s Senior Bowl selectee. Mills also was named the STATS National Defensive Player of the Week that season.
Prior to NC Central, Edwards also spent two seasons at Morehead State as the defensive coordinator in 2018, co-special teams coordinator in 2017 while also coaching the defensive backs and serving as the pro liaison. As the defensive coordinator, he helped improved the Eagles’ defense from last to fourth in the conference while also leading his secondary to rank third in the conference pass defense while having three of his defensive backs ranked at the top of the league on passes defensed. He has also served as a defensive analyst/quality control coach at Furman University (2016).
Edwards was the defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator at Kentucky Christian University in 2014 before being elevated to associate head coach and defensive coordinator in 2015. In 2014, he helped KCU rank in the top-10 in the NAIA in all major passing defense categories while guiding Mike Ritter to USA All-American Honors and Emmett Keys to USA Freshman All-American accolades. He also coached Aaron Cooper to earning Mid-South Conference Defensive Player of the Year and AFCA All-American accolades.
Edwards played five years in the NFL for the Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants and Detroit Lions. He also played for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. In his rookie season in 2005, he returned one of Green Bay Packers’ quarterback Brett Favre’s passes for a touchdown on Monday Night Football.
Edwards played collegiately at North Carolina State University, where he initially lined up as a top wide receiver target for quarterback Phillip Rivers. He later moved to cornerback during his final two seasons after recording starts on both offense and defense. He was named the team’s Most Outstanding Defensive Back and voted the Most Versatile Athlete following his senior season at NC State and played in the Hula Bowl in Hawaii in 2005. He also played on the Wolfpack basketball team.
Edwards earned his bachelor’s degree in parks, recreation and tourism management, with emphasis in sport management, from NC State in 2012. He has also participated in the NFL Scouting Academy, the NFL-NCAA Coaches Academy and the NFL Career Transition Program.
Edwards also brings experience as a talent evaluator after shadowing long-time NFL Player Personnel Executive Rick Mueller during an injury-plagued 2011 season, and serving as a scouting assistant for Optimum Scouting from 2012-14.
|
Coaching Experience
|
| 2014 |
Defensive Backs/Special Teams Coordinator, Kentucky Christian |
| 2015 |
Associate Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator, Kentucky Christian |
| 2016 |
Defensive Analyst/Quality Control, Furman |
| 2017 |
Co-Special Teams Coordinator/Defensive Backs, Morehead State |
| 2018 |
Defensive Coordinator, Morehead State |
| 2019-20 |
Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Defensive Backs, North Carolina Central |
| 2021 |
Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Safeties, Elon |
| 2022-present |
Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs, Elon |
