By Blake Hollingsworth | Reporter
Briggs Ellyson is an accounting graduate student who balances multiple roles as assistant coach of the Live Oak Falcons’ middle school football team and president of Baylor’s Men’s Choir.
As the Falcons’ wide receiver and linebacker coach, Ellyson said he finds joy in mentoring young athletes. His role allows him to impart life lessons alongside football strategies, emphasizing trust and confidence.
“Coaching is about giving them knowledge not just about football, but about life,” Ellyson said.
He also integrates faith and values into his coaching through activities like the team’s “word of the day” sessions, according to Kyle Carter, Live Oak Junior High head coach .
“The kids feel loved by him. It’s easy to tell that just by watching their interactions,” Carter said. “He genuinely cares, and kids can feel that.“
Ellyson explained his motivation behind mentoring young students, saying he had his own mentor throughout school.
“I went to a K-12 school as well, in Austin,” Ellyson said. “I had a coach who coached me from sixth-grade football all the way up until I graduated. We developed a really strong bond, and he was a mentor for me in middle school and high school and showed me how to be the right kind of man. So, having his influence in my life really spurred me on to want to be that for other kids.”
Trust, a cornerstone of his leadership style, is something Ellyson nurtures through personal connections with his players.
“Learning their names, understanding their strengths and showing belief in them builds that bond,” he said.
As president of Baylor’s Men’s Choir, Ellyson applies his servant leadership philosophy, inspired by his faith.
“Being a servant leader means doing the unglamorous work, treating people with kindness and leading by example,” he said. “It allows you to actually get to know the people and develop a genuine bonding relationship with them and be an example of Christ.”
Ellyson also credits his experiences with teaching him valuable lessons in time management and delegation.
“You can’t do everything yourself,” he said. “It’s about trusting others and letting them grow through responsibility.”
Looking ahead, Ellyson hopes to blend his passion for leadership with his professional aspirations, aiming to become a C-suite executive like his father.
“It’s through looking at his experiences that I’ve kind of developed what I want,” Ellyson said. “I think it’s really easy for kids to look at their parents and say, ‘I want to be like them,’ especially if they have good parents.”
