Dr. Susan Elza is in her first season at Nebraska in 2023, serving as the football program’s chief of staff. A longtime respected administrator, Elza leads and coordinates all administrative efforts within the Husker program.
Elza came to Nebraska after more than seven years as the director of athletics for the University Interscholastic League (UIL), the governing body of Texas high school extracurricular activities. She was the top administrator for the athletics division of the UIL, which is the largest inter-school organization of its kind in the world. In her role, Elza oversaw the UIL athletic department and administered athletic activities for member schools.
Previously, Elza served as the executive director of athletics at Northwest Independent School District in Fort Worth. Prior to that, she was an assistant athletic director at Allen Independent School District in Allen, Texas. Elza was also a head softball coach at Garland and Allen.
Elza earned her bachelor’s degree in exercise and sports science from Southwest Texas State, her master’s degree in education administration from Texas A&M Commerce and her doctoral degree in educational leadership from Lamar. She was inducted into the Texas High School Athletic Director Hall of Honor in 2023.