New football coach Pat Elder is a ‘grand slam’ hire for Bureau Valley

Bureau Valley last reached the state football playoffs in 2016.

Its new coaching hire has the playoffs experience to help get them back there.

Pat Elder, who has made 18 playoff appearances in 23 years as head coach at four separate schools, has been named as the new Storm’s head football coach.

Many things attracted Elder to the job.

“The administration is very supportive of athletics. That was important,“ he said. ”I know the history of the school. I was an assistant coach (at Normal U-High) the first year (1995) they were open. I know of the success they’ve had athletically. The communities have had strong sports backgrounds and want to be successful. Those things were all pretty attractive about the job.”

Elder comes to Bureau Valley from Ridgewood, the Cambridge/AlWood co-op, where he led the Spartans to playoff appearances all three seasons in the 8-man game, including a state finals appearance against Amboy in 2023.

Previously, he had a highly successful, 11-year run at Richmond-Burton from 2006-16, reaching the playoffs in all but his first season, going 5-4 in 2006. His Rockets reached the 4A state finals in 2011 with two semifinals appearances and a quarterfinal leading up to it.

He also coached at Sherrard from 1999-2005, going 44-26, leading the Tigers to five playoff appearances in seven years, four in Class 3A, one in 4A, with a 2-3 record.

He will take what worked for him at those schools to Bureau Valley, he said.

“We’ll try to apply the same principles here that I’ve been able to apply at Ridgewood and the other places I’ve been,” Elder said. “They’ve worked for us and been successful, so we’ll try to put our kids in a position they can be confident in and give them the best opportunity to be successful. That’s really the core of what we’ve done.”

While he jokes his profile on X.com that says he is “very effective at teaching and using four plays,” is tongue and cheek, it’s not far from the truth. Elder’s teams are well known for their wing-T football and running game.

“We’re certainly going to do four things right before we try to do a fifth, I do know that,” he said. “We’ve always been able to run the football. We’re consistent with the running game. We’re able to control the clock that way and do those things well.

“We have been able to limit our errors as far as penalties and turnovers. We’ve been sound defensively and limiting the big play and making people earn anything they would get against us.”

Elder, who spent his first two seasons as head coach at Winchester, said going back to 11-man football from 8-man was a non-factor in taking on his new position.

“Ball is ball. I greatly enjoyed the 8-man game. 11-man, (vs.) 8-man didn’t really factor in the decision for me at all,” he said. ”Just felt like this was a good opportunity for football. Anyone that’s watched 8-man after five minutes will realize you’re just watching a football game."

Elder, the ninth head football coach in school history at BV, succeeds Mat Pistole, who resigned last month after six seasons.

BV superintendent Jason Stabler called it a “grand slam” hire.

Elder has a strong coaching pedigree. His father, John, is a legendary fixture in the state football ranks from his 33-year coaching stint at Alexis, 27 as head coach, and leadership role with the Illinois Coaching Association.

The new Storm coach said his dad, who came out of retirement to assist his son at Sherrard, has always been a good resource to have.

Elder is the fourth new football coach named in the Illinois Valley following Jim Eustice (Mendota), Jack Brady (St. Bede), Ken Carlson (Marquette) and JJ Raffelson (L-P). Hall is expected to name its next coach at Monday’s board meeting.