Western Kentucky receivers coach Bryan Ellis is sort of the Hilltopper version of a Swiss Army Knife.

Coach Jeff Brohm has used Ellis in many different situations, and so far he’s proven each time he can do the job.

Ellis, a former college quarterback at UAB, is coming into his first year working with the WKU receivers after one season as the running backs coach.

“When coach Brohm hired me as the running backs coach, that’s kind of what he told me, was that it would help my career, as far as learning all parts of an offense,” Ellis said. “Coaching running backs is very similar to coaching tight ends, so other than the offensive line – which that’s its own animal – but other than that, I’ve pretty much been around all of it, even just here.”

Ellis, 27, has had a well-rounded college coaching experience for his age.

He’s also an assistant that Brohm said in February he feels he can count on to “do a lot of different things.”

WKU’s offensive staff was raided in the offseason after another highly successful campaign. Ellis was the last remaining assistant on that side of the ball.

When Brohm hired former Marshall running backs coach Chris Barclay to lead that position and his Brohm’s brother, Brian, to coach the quarterbacks, he slid Ellis into new territory again with the receivers.

“I’ve enjoyed it,” Ellis said. “Coaching running backs for a year was fun, to get into the details of pass protection and the run game. That was a lot of fun. But having played quarterback, getting back into the pass game and kind of being on that end has been fun.”

Ellis threw for 2,940 yards and 25 touchdowns as a senior quarterback at UAB in 2010, then spent two seasons as a graduate assistant working with the Blazer QBs, as well as another as a quality control coach.

He came to WKU in 2014 as an offensive quality control coach, assisting former offensive coordinator Tyson Helton with the QBs.

Ellis is bringing all that experience, plus his year with the running backs, to his new challenge.

“He’s a great guy that’s teaching us everything,” WKU junior receiver Nacarius Fant said. “He’s not just teaching us how to play the wideout position. He’s teaching us what the quarterbacks are reading, what the line is doing. He’s helping us out with the different coverages that the defense is in. That helps us out a lot with him having played quarterback and being able to teach us everything. 

“Him having coached the running backs and played quarterback, he knows every position, and that’s a bonus to us.”

For some of the receivers, like senior star Taywan Taylor, keeping continuity in the coaching staff was important.

Virtually every other offensive position group had to adjust to a new face, but the receivers at least had familiarity with Ellis.

“Coach Ellis was a great move for us,” Taylor said. “I’m glad he got promoted to be the coach because even though he didn’t play the position in college, he knows everything that we’re trying to do. He’s a big help to us. He keeps us grounded and keeps us on point. It’s been great for the young guys because he’s familiar with the whole group, and that’s making us come closer as a group.”

The new job isn’t without challenges for Ellis.

The Hilltopper receivers are a boisterous, confident group, continuing a culture that thrived under former receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard – always the loudest person on the field.

Shephard moved on to Washington State in the offseason, but Ellis said nothing has changed in terms of the work ethic demanded.

“It’s a different mentality, as far as the kids,” Ellis said with a smile. “It’s a different type of kid. They have a lot of fun. They like to talk. They’re a little louder than the quarterbacks are. It takes some getting used to, but I tell you, we’ve got a bunch of kids with a lot of great attitudes. 

“When they play hard and when they have fun doing it, sometimes you can live with the mistakes as they get older and get ready to go.”

Ellis inherits a group with some established veterans – like Taylor, Fant and senior Nicholas Norris – but also with plenty of younger receivers looking to prove themselves.

That’s where Ellis hopes he can put all his experiences together to get the new playmakers to the next level.

“It’s different, but we’re both learning together,” redshirt freshman receiver Lucky Jackson said. “He’s learning the position, and we’ve got to become accustomed to a new coach. I think we’re all taking a step forward.”

— Follow Assistant Sports Editor Zach Greenwell on Twitter @zach_greenwell or visit bgdailynews.com.