The purpose for this qualitative study was to describe elementary school teachers' perspectives on working with a literacy instructional coach. The particular literacy instructional coach in this study was also a university professor, not employed by the school district. The university professor provided professional learning to meet instructional needs of teachers by modeling research-based instructional strategies, conducted after school professional developments, helped teachers use formative assessments to plan for instruction, and gathered needed resources. Individual interviews, observations, and reflective journaling were used to answer two research questions: What are teachers' perceptions on how a literacy coach provides professional learning for teachers? What are teachers' perceptions on having a university professor serving as a literacy coach? Data analysis was achieved by coding. The themes that emerged from the data were: growth, relationship and advocacy. A selective review of recent literature on professional learning, public school and university partnerships, and types of coaching is included.