Elon, N.C. – Elon University Football Head Coach Tony Trisciani has announced the hiring of Akeem Dent as an assistant defensive line coach and Chris Schultz as an offensive and special teams assistant.
 
"We are excited to add Akeem and Chris to our staff," Trisciani said. "They bring high level NFL and college experience and have been heavily involved in special teams. Akeem will focus on assisting with our defensive line and special teams, while Chris will assist with our offensive line and special teams. Both will also be heavily involved in our opponent and self-scout analytics."
 
AKEEM DENT
Akeem Dent comes to Elon with six years of experience on college and NFL coaching staffs following a six-year NFL career.
 
A second team All-SEC player at Georgia, Dent was drafted in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. He earned a PFWA All-Rookie Team selection that year and followed that up by starting 13 games and recording a career-best 65 tackles in 2012. Following the 2013 season, he moved on to the Houston Texans and played three seasons there. In total, Dent played in 90 career NFL games, starting 32 times, with 203 career tackles.
 
Dent then began his coaching career in 2018 as an intern at Colorado State, assisting with the linebackers, as well as film breakdown, practice planning and directing the scout team look.
 
Following his time at Colorado State, he spent three years as a defensive assistant with the Houston Texans, working with the inside and outside linebackers and the defensive line. In May of 2022, he worked with the inside linebackers at Green Bay through the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship. Since then, he spent time with the Seattle Seahawks (inside linebackers and special teams) and the Carolina Panthers (defensive line) through the Bill Walsh Fellowship.
 
Dent earned his bachelor's degree in 2010 from Georgia, majoring in housing and consumer economics. In his senior season with the Bulldogs, he ranked second in the SEC with 126 tackles and added 6.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.
 
Dent is married to Dana and the couple has three daughters – Emerald, Ivy and Capri.
 
CHRIS SCHULTZ
Chris Schultz brings 10 years of collegiate coaching experience to Elon following his most recent stint as a defensive line coach at Walsh University in 2023. The team average 2.09 sacks per game and ranked among the top 25 in the country in red zone defense.
 
In 2022, Schultz was the special teams coordinator and defensive line coach at Savannah State, where he coached an all-conference defensive end and the SIAC Returner of the Year. His punt and kick defense units both ranked among the top 15 in the country in yards allowed.
 
Schultz was the special teams coordinator at North Carolina Central from 2016-19, helping the program to the 2016 MEAC championship and developed the No. 4 FCS punt return unit in the country, averaging 21 yards per return. He coached four all-conference kicks, a preseason All-American kicker and a preseason All-American long snapper.
 
Schultz also has experience at Florida International (special teams quality control in 2015), Catawba (outside linebackers coach in 2014), Kentucky Christian (running backs coach in 2013) and Bluefield (defensive line, outside linebackers and strength and conditioning in 2012). He was a student assistant at his alma mater, North Carolina, in 2010 and 2011.
 
A 2012 North Carolina graduate, Schultz has a bachelor's degree in exercise and sport science. He is married to Valerie and the couple has two children – Benjamin and Maggie.