Mike Pelton

A veteran coach with 17 years of experience coaching defense on the collegiate level, Mike Pelton is in his fifth season at Georgia Tech’s defensive line coach.

Pelton came to The Flats in 2013, reuniting with Tech defensive coordinator Ted Roof. Pelton and Roof were on the same defensive staff at Auburn in 2011.

In four seasons at Georgia Tech, Pelton has teamed up with Roof to help lower the Yellow Jackets’ scoring defense by nearly four points per game.

Pelton has coached five all-ACC defensive linemen, an All-American (Jeremiah Attaochu in 2013), a freshman all-American (KeShun Freeman in 2014) and five student-athletes that have gone on to the NFL. His NFL pupils include a pair of second-round draft picks (Attaochu, San Diego – 2014, and Adam Gotsis, Denver – 2016) and two members of the 2016 Yellow Jackets that have signed free-agent contracts (Patrick Gamble – New York Jets and Francis Kallon – Pittsburgh Steelers).

In Pelton’s first season with the Jackets, Attaochu recorded a team-best 12.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss as a senior in 2013. With the big season under Pelton’s watch, Attaochu broke Tech’s all-time career sacks record, was named first-team all-ACC and earned third-team All-America honors.

Prior to coming to Atlanta, Pelton spent the previous two seasons as the defensive line coach at his alma mater, Auburn. In 2011, Pelton and Roof teamed to help lead the Tigers to an 8-4 record and a Chick-fil-A Bowl victory over Virginia.

Before returning to his alma mater in 2011, Pelton coached defensive lines at Vanderbilt (2010), Iowa State (2007-08), Troy (2001-06) and Valdosta State (2000). He also had a three-month stint as DL coach at Louisiana-Lafayette during the 2011 offseason before accepting the same position at Auburn.

In his two seasons at Iowa State under future Auburn head coach Gene Chizik, Pelton mentored a pair of second-team all-Big 12 selections in nose guard Ahtyba Rubin and defensive end Kurtis Taylor. Rubin went on to become a starter for the Cleveland Browns after being selected in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL draft.

Pelton’s six years at Troy included serving as co-defensive coordinator for his final two seasons with the Trojans. Pelton mentored the most prolific student-athletes in school history — Demarcus Ware, the 2003 Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year who went on to be a first-round NFL draft pick, eight-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos, and Osi Umenyiora, who recorded 15 sacks as a senior in 2002 and went on to be a second-round NFL draft pick, two-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro for the New York Giants. With Pelton coaching the defensive front, Troy ranked fourth nationally in total defense in 2002 (277 ypg) and 16th nationally in 2004.

Pelton’s coaching career began as defensive line coach at Valdosta (Ga.) State, where he helped lead the Blazers to a 10-2 record and NCAA Division II playoff berth in 2000.

Pelton was a standout defensive tackle at Auburn from 1991-94, earning first-team all-SEC honors as a senior. A four-year letterman, Pelton was a co-captain as a senior and helped the Tigers win a school-record 20 consecutive games from 1993-94. Auburn posted a perfect 11-0 record in 1993, finishing fourth in the final Associated Press Top 25 rankings of the season. The Tigers went 9-1-1 in 1994 and finished No. 9 in the AP poll.

As a senior in ‘94, Pelton recorded 10 sacks, which was tied for the fourth-highest single-season total in Auburn history. He registered 294 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and 15 sacks in his career.

Following his prolific collegiate career, Pelton was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 1995 NFL Draft. He went on to sign as a free agent with the Indianapolis Colts before graduating from Auburn in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in health and sports science.

Pelton and his wife, Staci, are the parents of four daughters – Myesa, Tyra, Peyton and Taelah.