He earned a pair of undergraduate degrees in telecommunications and film as well as rhetoric and communications, from the University of Oregon in 1985.

[2] He had two breaks from Oregon, serving as defensive line coach, strength and conditioning director, and academic coordinator at Willamette University in 1987.

From 1990 to 1992, Pellum was the recruiting coordinator at the University of California, as well as the assistant athletics director for student services at Berkeley in 1992 before returning again to the Ducks in 1993.

[1] On January 14, 2014, Pellum was named Oregon's defensive coordinator, replacing his former mentor Nick Aliotti.

[3] On January 4, 2016, following one of the worst defensive seasons in Oregon football history, Pellum was demoted to linebackers coach.