Tellier was the head football coach at the University of Rochester from 1984 to 1988 and at Columbia from 1989 to 2002, compiling a career record of 63–122–3.
When Anderson resigned in 1983, Tellier moved on to become head coach at University of Rochester, an NCAA Division III school.
He turned the moribund program around over the next five years, going 9–2 and making the NCAA Division III playoffs for the first time in school history, in 1987.
In 1989 Tellier was hired by Columbia and asked to revive their program (which had just broken a 44-game losing streak) in a similar fashion.
Tellier stepped aside at the end of that season and joined the administrative side of the athletic department.