Cliff Ellis enters his second year as head coach of the Coastal Carolina men's basketball program.
The 62-year-old Ellis has been a successful coach throughout his career, amassing a Division I record of 547-352 (.608) and 625-364 (.632) as a head coach overall, ranking him 47th in the nation in all-time Division I wins prior to the 2006-2007 season and now is tied for the 12th winningest active Division I coach by victories. He is also just one of 10 coaches in NCAA Division I history to post 100 or more wins at three separate schools and has been named conference Coach of the Year five times in his career.
Ellis enters his 33rd season as a collegiate head coach as he has had tremendous success guiding his team to postseason play.Ellis has guided his squads to eight NCAA Tournaments and 11 National Invitation Tournament bids.Ellis' teams have advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament three times: once with Clemson in 1989-1990 and twice with Auburn (1998-1999 and 2002-2003).
Despite a myriad of injuries that affected the Chanticleers in Ellis' first season, Coastal Carolina won 13 games, including six Big South contests and was competitve in most games night in and night out.The Chanticleers defeated Big South Conference Tournament champion Winthrop 50-49 Jan. 26 and had thrilling buzzer-beating wins over Radford (76-75) Jan. 12 and Charleston Southern (85-78 in OT) Feb. 2.Coastal Carolina also had two big wins over High Point, including a heart-pounding 56-55 win Feb. 18.Ellis coached Jack Leasure, who was an All-Big South Second Team selection, an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American and was the Big South Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year for all sports.Ellis also guided Anthony Breeze to a Big South All-Freshman selection.
Ellis spent 10 years (1994-2004) as the head coach at Auburn, posting a 186-125 (.598) record. During his time, Ellis led the Tigers to a school record 29-4 mark in 1998-99, including a 14-2 mark in the SEC to win the league title and took the team to the NCAA Championship as a No. 1 seed, eventually advancing to the Sweet 16. He was the 1999 Southeastern Conference and National Coach of the Year by six different organizations, including the John and Nellie Wooden and Associated Press awards. Ellis also led Auburn to the 2000 NCAA Tournament after a 24-10 record overall, becoming a finalist for National Coach of the Year. He also garnered 1995 SEC Coach of the Year honors in his first year at Auburn after taking the Tigers to a 16-13 record overall, earning a berth in the NIT.
Ellis coached at Clemson from 1984-1994, putting together a 177-128 (.580) record in his tenure. While at Clemson, Ellis led the Tigers to the 1990 Atlantic Coast Conference title, the only one in the school's history, with a 24-8 overall record, a 10-4 ACC mark and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16. For his efforts, he earned ACC and NABC and US Basketball Writers District III Coach of the Year honors. He had previously garnered the ACC and District Coach of the Year awards in 1987 after pacing the Tigers to 25-6 mark, the best inthe school history, a runner-up finish in the ACC and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Ellis started his Division I head coaching career at South Alabama from 1975-1984, where he developed the program into a nationally-recognized team in his nine years. He had a 171-84 (.671) record, the highest winning percentage in USA history and led the Jaguars to three Sun Belt Conference Championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances, while earning one Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year award. He led the Jaguars to a top-10 national ranking during his tenure. During his time with the Jaguars, he also served as the Athletic Director and was inducted into the Mobile Sports Hall of Fame in 2003 for the work he did with the Jaguars' basketball program.
He started his collegiate head coaching career at CumberlandUniversity, where he also served as Athletic Director from 1973-1975. In his three years, he led Cumberland to a 78-12 (.867) record, including two league championships. Ellis started his career in the high school ranks, coaching at Ocala Vanguard and NicevilleHigh Schools and RuckelJunior High School in his first four years.
Prior to coaching at Coastal Carolina, Ellis worked as a television broadcast analyst, with numerous national and regional games including Big South Conference and Coastal Carolina games, from 2004-2007.
Ellis got his bachelor's degree in physical education from FloridaState in 1968 and earned his master's degree, also in physical education, from MiddleTennesseeState in 1972. He has also published three books and two videos on basketball coaching during his career.
Ellis is married to the former Carolyn Ratzlaff and they have three children, Chryssa Rutland, Clay and Anna Catherine, and two grandchildren, Hannah Grace and Ellis Rutland.
