Dillon Elder - Men's Basketball Coach

SOUTHAVEN, MS - November 17, 2024 - Mississippi State Director of Scouting & Analytics Dillon Elder during the game between the Utah Utes and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at The Landers Center in Southaven, MS. Photo By Mike Mattina

Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics

Dillon Elder

Title:
Assistant Men's Basketball Coach
Phone:
662-325-3800

Dillon Elder starts his third season as an assistant coach and his fifth season on Chris Jans' coaching staff at Mississippi State in 2026-27.

Elder has been part of a State program that dialed up back-to-back-to-back NCAA Tournament trips fueled by a trio of 21-win campaigns from 2022-23 to 2024-25. It marked the third time in program history and the first time in two decades that the Bulldogs have secured three consecutive NCAA Tournament bids.

State was ranked among the Associated Press Top 25 during each of Elder’s first three seasons with the program and rose to as high as No. 14 in 2024-25. The Bulldogs captured 10 wins over AP Top 25 squads during those three seasons which is a program record over a three-year span.

Elder was elevated to assistant coach starting in 2024-25 after he spent two seasons as State’s director of scouting and analytics.

Leading into State, Elder had a yearlong stint as Tarleton State’s Director of Operations in 2021-22.

Prior to his tenure in Stephenville, Elder worked with the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves as a Video Assistant in 2020-21. He spent his undergraduate time as a student manager at Texas A&M from 2015-18 and was promoted to head manager in 2017-18.

Then, Elder advanced to a graduate assistant role with the Aggies during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons. During his time in Bryan-College Station, the Aggies won a share of the SEC regular season championship in 2015-16 and made two trips to the NCAA Sweet 16.

Elder graduated from Texas A&M with a Master of Science degree in marketing alongside a bachelor’s degree in agricultural leadership with minors in sports management and business.

The Dillon Elder File
Seasons • School • Years at School • Position
2025-Present • Mississippi State • 3 Seasons • Assistant Coach
2023-24 • Mississippi State • 2 Seasons • Director of Scouting and Analytics
2022 • Tarleton State • 1 Season • Director of Operations
2021 • Minnesota Timberwolves • 1 Season • Video Coordinator
2019-20 • Texas A&M • 2 Seasons • Graduate Assistant

Note: Seasons are represented by hyphen and begin with the year’s last date. For example, the 2022-23 season is listed as 2023 which was Elder’s first season at Mississippi State.