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Abbott Burrell
Abbott Burrell
Bio

 Abbott Burrell joined the Central Connecticut State football coaching staff as an assistant coach in June 2019. He coaches the Blue Devils safeties and is the program's academic coordinator.

Burrell earned a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Connecticut in 1990 and was a four-year letterwinner and team captain as a senior. He played professional football for the French Professional Football League while also working as an assistant defensive backs and receivers coach.

AT CCSU
 
• Member of the coaching staff for the 2019, 2024 and 2025 NEC Championship Teams
• Has coached Chris Jean to the 2025 FCS Football Central All-America Third Team and 2024 FCS Freshman All-America
• Jean has also earned 2025 All-New England, a two-time All-NEC First Team selection and 2024 NEC Defensive Rookie of th Year
• Coached the 2024 NEC Defensive Player of the Year, Kimal Clark, who was named FCS All-America and All-New England
• Has coached eight All-Conference selections during his time with the Blue Devils, with four first-team selections in five seasons
• First-team selections include Kimal Clark (2023, 20224), Chris Jean (2024) and Tajik Bagley (2019), with DJ Evilhomme (2019), Jahlil Brown (2021, 2022) and Jonathan Cabral-Martin (2022) earning Second Team Honors

BEFORE CCSU

Brown University (January 1998 - November 2018)

  • Coached the defensive secondary, including AFCA First-Team All-American's in back-to-back seasons with AJ Cruz (2012) and Emory Polley (2013)
  • Coached Associated Press All-America Third Team Jamie Gasparella, a defensive back, in 2005
  • Promoted to assistant head coach in 2002 and was part of three Ivy League Championship teams
  • His 2001 secondary led the Ivy in pass defense
  • Coached 18 All-Ivy League selections during his tenure with the Bears, 11 of them earning First-Team honors

 Bethune-Cookman (July 1997 - January 1998)

  • Assistant coach responsible for defensive backs, coaching Anthony Bass who spent two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings

University of Pennsylvania (January 1997 -  July 1997)

  • Spent the spring season at Penn

Brown University (January 1994 - January 1997)

  • Coached two seasons with the secondary and a season of outside linebackers during his first stint at Brown

Wesleyan University (August 1992 - December 1993)

  • Coached wide receivers and assisted on special teams