Kai Ellis

Kai Ellis

Ellis with the Ottawa Redblacks in 2025
Personal information
Born	(1980-08-07) August 7, 1980 (age 45) Kent, Washington, U.S.
Height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight	255 lb (116 kg)
Career information
High school	Kentridge (Kent, Washington)
College	CCSF (2000) Washington (2001–2003)
NFL draft	2003: undrafted
Positions	Linebacker, defensive end, No. 99, 93, 90 [1]
Career history
Playing
San Francisco 49ers (2003)* Calgary Stampeders (2003) Ottawa Renegades (2004–2005) Montreal Alouettes (2006–2008) Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2008) Edmonton Eskimos (2009–2010) San Jose SaberCats (2011)
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Coaching
Washington (2013) Assistant defensive line coach Culver–Stockton (2014) Defensive line coach West Hills Coaliga (2015–2016) Defensive coordinator & linebackers coach Briar Cliff (2017) Assistant head coach & defensive coordinator Adams State (2018–2021) Defensive line coach Adams State (2022) Assistant head coach, defensive coordinator, & defensive line coach Adams State (2023) Assistant head coach, defensive coordinator, & linebackers coach Ottawa Redblacks (2025) Defensive line coach
Awards and highlights
Second-team All-Pac-10 (2002)

Kai Ellis (born August 7, 1980) is an American professional football coach. He most recently served as the defensive line coach for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He is a former defensive end who played for eight seasons in the CFL for the Calgary Stampeders, Ottawa Renegades, Montreal Alouettes, and Edmonton Eskimos. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played collegiately at Washington.

Coaching career

On January 31, 2025, it was announced that Ellis had joined the coaching staff of the Ottawa Redblacks as the team's defensive line coach. ^[2] He served in that capacity for one season, but was not retained for 2026 following the hire of Ryan Dinwiddie as head coach. ^[3]

References

1. "Kai Ellis". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
2. "Redblacks announce 2025 coaching staff". Ottawa Redblacks. January 31, 2025.
3. "Redblacks reveal 2026 coaching staff". Ottawa Redblacks. January 8, 2026.

External links

• Washington Huskies bio
• Winnipeg Blue Bombers bio
• Media related to Kai Ellis at Wikimedia Commons