Elon Football Announces Staff Changes

ELON, N.C. – Elon University football head coach Rich Skrosky has announced two changes to his defensive coaching staff. Patrick Madden has been promoted to defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, while Gerald Chatman has joined the Phoenix staff as the new defensive line coach.

Madden has coached the maroon and gold’s defensive line for each of the past two seasons. Last year, his unit accounted for 15 of the team’s 23 total sacks. Madden also coached one lineman to all-CAA Football honors. Prior to coming to Elon, Madden spent two seasons at Tufts University where he coached linebackers and the defensive line and spent time as the special teams coordinator. He previously served as the defensive coordinator at Lawrence Academy and has also made coaching stops with the Omaha Nighthawks (United Football League), the University of New Hampshire, Boston College, Columbia University and Wesleyan University.

Said Skrosky, “I am excited to promote Patrick Madden to the role of defensive coordinator. Ever since I have known him, he has taken complete control of any task he has been given. He was a great resource to (former defensive coordinator) Coach (Jerry) Petercuskie and his familiarity with this system going back to his Columbia and Boston College days made the decision easy. Pat has been in this defensive system since 2003 and has great knowledge of all the details within the scheme. Keeping our system consistent for our players was an important factor as well as we continue to build the program.”

Chatman comes to Elon after spending the 2015 season working with the defensive line at Texas A&M University as a defensive graduate assistant. The Aggies posted an 8-5 record and played in the Music City Bowl last year. His coaching assisted defensive end Miles Garrett to All-SEC and All-America honors.

“I am excited about Gerald joining our staff at Elon,” said Skrosky. “In these last two years I have learned to surround yourself with people you know well. You know their character, their work ethic and the way they deal with people. Gerald demonstrated these traits on a daily basis while we were at Ball State together. His time at Butler and Texas A&M have also provided him with experiences that will add fresh ideas to our staff. He will be a great mentor to our student-athletes.”

Added Texas A&M defensive ends coach Terry Price, “Gerald will be missed at Texas A&M and we wish him much success at Elon. Gerald brought great knowledge and passion to our program here and fostered great relationships with all of our players. He believed in his players playing with great effort and technique every snap and, to me, that is what makes him a great coach. He won’t accept anything else. Elon has added a coach that will help them win many championships in the future.”

He spent the summer of 2015 as a defensive coaching intern with the Green Bay Packers where he assisted with both the defensive line and linebacker units. He was also selected to participate in the NFL-NCAA Coaches Academy.

Prior to that, Chatman spent the 2014 campaign as the defensive line coach and assistant recruiting coordinator at Butler University. In part due to his defensive line’s play, Butler led the Pioneer Football League in rushing defense and was second in sacks. Chatman had one player earn all-conference accolades.

Chatman is familiar with Skrosky as he worked as a defensive graduate assistant at Ball State University during the 2012 and 2013 seasons. While with the Cardinals, Chatman mentored two high-profile defensive ends. Jonathan Newsome earned first-team All-Mid American Conference honors under the guidance of Chatman after transferring to Ball State from Ohio State University. Upon graduation, Newsome was selected in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. The second Cardinal to earn all-conference honors under Chatman was defensive tackle Nathan Ollie. During Chatman’s time at BSU, the program played in consecutive bowl games and posted 19 victories.

Chatman got his start in collegiate coaching at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh where he was the defensive line coach from 2010-11.

Chatman was a defensive lineman at Wisconsin Oshkosh from 2006-09. He received a bachelor’s degree in educational leadership and human services from Wisconsin Oshkosh. He then earned a master’s degree in adult and community education from Ball State.

He is married to the former Lauren Hoffmann.