With seven highly successful years under our belts, the Elite Football School coaches invite you to attend another great week of football instruction. Our success is based upon the principles of teamwork, determination, and proven coaching techniques. All of the Elite Football School coaches personally teach every athlete throughout the week. This enables us to identify specific areas in need of improvement and to see those improvements take place. We strive to instill solid fundamentals and develop good habits that athletes can take with them well beyond their time at the Elite Football School.
Coach Keith Croft currently holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education from Rhode Island College, endorsements in Health Education and Adaptive Physical Education, and a Masters degree in Educational Administration from Providence College. From 2001 to the present, Keith has been employed by Cranston Public Schools as a physical education and health teacher. For the past fifteen years, he has been coaching football at Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick, Rhode Island. Keith began his career as a varsity assistant coach, transitioned to the Junior Varsity Head Coach before becoming the Freshman Head Coach. Currently Keith is the Head Football Coach, a position that he has held for the last four years. Under the direction of Coach Croft, his teams have compiled a 82-16 record including eight playoff berths and seven championship game appearances. In 2010 Coach Croft led the varsity hawks through an undefeated regular season and also the 2010 State Championship. Coach Croft was named the 2010 Words Unlimited RI Schoolboy High School Coach of the year as well as the 2010 Coaches association Division 1 Coach of the year.
While he was the freshman Head Coach, Keith led the Hawks to the 2004 Freshman State Championship. As the Varsity Head Coach, he guided the Hawks to both the 2007 and 2009 Division I Super Bowls. Keith has previously worked the New England Patriots Chris Slade Football Camp and will also serve on the staff of the New England Patriots Joe Andruzzi Day Camp. Keith currently resides in North Providence with his wife, Kerri and son.
Coach Michael Green currently holds a Bachelor of Science and a Masters degree in Physical Education from the University of Rhode Island, as well as an Educational Administration certificate from Providence College. Mike has been employed by the Providence School Department as a physical education teacher since 1992. From 1993 to 2000, Mike also served Classical High School in Providence as the Head Freshman and Head Varsity Coach for football, as well as an assistant indoor/outdoor track coach. In 2001, he became the running back and wide out coach for Salve Regina University. In 2006, Mike served as the offensive co-coordinator for North Kingstown High School in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. Currently he is entering his fourth year on the coaching staff at Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick, Rhode Island. In 2007 and 2008, Mike served as the special teams coordinator. In 2009 and 2010, he served the Hawks as the linebacker coach and defensive coordinator. Coach Green's defense was instrumental in the Hawks 2010 State Championship triumph. Mike currently resides in West Greenwich with his wife and two daughters.
Coach LaJhon Jones started his playing career at the University of Rhode Island where he was a four-year starter for the University of Rhode Island Rams. While in Kingston, LaJhon was a First Team All-Conference Line Backer (1997) and was also the runner-up for the Yankee Conference Rookie of the Year. As URI's all-time record holder for most tackles in one game (23 total), LaJhon is also the all-time record holder for most quarterback sacks in one game (4 total). In 1998, he was invited to training camp with the NFL's San Diego Chargers. He played in all four pre-season exhibition games prior to being released. Following his time with the Chargers, LaJhon was hired as an assistant football coach at Moses Brown School in Providence, Rhode Island where he helped guide the Quakers to the 2000 New England Prep School Championship, the 2001 RIIL State Championship and the 2004 RIIL State/Division IV Championship. In 2005, LaJhon was hired as Head Football Coach at Moses Brown School. In 2005, and subsequently led them to 3 super bowl berths. Coach Jones was recently named the Head Football Coach at Durfee High School in Fall River Massachusetts.
Camp Strength and Conditioning Coach
Matthew Ellis
Matt is the owner of Primal Athlete Training Center in Cranston, RI. Primal is a 1200 square foot warehouse gym that is quickly becoming known for producing RI's strongest athletes. Originally from Coventry, Matt learned the value of strength and hard work at an early age growing up on a small ranch owned by his father and mother. Hauling 50 and 100 pound bags of grain, cutting and stacking firewood, loading hay bales, and walking with 10 gallon buckets of water quickly became part of his daily chores.
After playing many traditional sports like basketball, baseball, and soccer while growing up, he fell in love with track and field his Freshman year at Bishop Hendricken High School. Matt was a member of three indoor and four outdoor track teams at Hendricken and was named captain of his Senior indoor and outdoor track teams. He continued his track career at Stonehill College for another four indoor and four outdoor seasons being named a captain his Junior and Senior year. At one point, Matt held every school throwing record at Stonehill except javelin. He was a conference champion in the shot put and discus. His senior year Matt was the highest ranked Division II discus thrower in New England.
After graduating in 2002, Matt began working at M-F Athletic Company and Perform Better in Cranston. While at M-F, he quickly became the go-to person for everything involving the throwing events and strength training for power athletes. Matt has spoken to thousands of coaches and athletic directors at many of the largest state and regional coaching clinics around the U.S. on topics such as functional training, kettlebell training for athletes, proper active warm-up, mobility drills, and proper technique and variations of the Olympic lifts. Articles written by Matt have appeared in coaching magazines, books, and websites around the world. Matt is the former director of Bill Falk's overnight throws camp at Rhode Island College and is a member of the National Throws Coaches Association and the National Pole Vault Coaches Association. Matt is a certified strength coach and is a certified kettlebell instructor. He is a contributing writer for two coaching and athletic conditioning newsletters. Matt is constantly investing in his coaching and training education to bring the latest techniques to the athletes he trains. Matt decided to leave his position at M-F in 2009 to pursue his love of training athletes and opened Primal Athlete Training Center. Matt has an aggressive, blue-collar style to his training that improves strength, endurance, and explosive power in all athletic movements.
Matt is a life long RI resident, a dedicated husband, and in April of 2010 became a dad for the first time.
