Cliff Ellis
Cliff Ellis (born December 5, 1945)
Teams coached: Cumberland Bulldogs, South Alabama Jaguars, Clemson Tigers, Auburn Tigers, Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
Cumberland (TN) record: 78-12 (.867)
South Alabama record: 171-84 (.671)
Clemson record: 177-128 (.580) **
Auburn record: 186-125 (.598)
Coastal Carolina record: 297-228 (.566)
Overall record^: 909-577 (.612) **
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 9 (1979, 1980, 1987, 1989, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2014, 2015) **
- NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 2 (1999, 2003) **
- NCAA Tournament Final Four: 0
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 13 (1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2010, 2011)
- CBI Championships: 0 (Runner-up in 2017, 2021)
- CBI Appearances: 3 (2017, 2019, 2021)
- CIT/TBC Championships: 0 (Runner-up in 2022)
- CIT/TBC Appearances: 3 (2012, 2016, 2022)
- Sun Belt Regular Season Champion: 3 (1979, 1980, 1981)
- Big South Regular Season Champion: 3 (2010, 2011, 2014)
- SEC Regular Season Champion: 1 (1999)
- ACC Regular Season Champion: 1 (1990)
- Big South Tournament Champion: 2 (2014, 2015)
Awards:
- AP Coach of the Year: 1 (1999)
- Sporting News Coach of the Year: 1 (1999)
- Henry Iba Award: 1 (1999)
- Gene Bartow Award: 1 (2014)
- Big South Coach of the Year: 1 (2010)
- SEC Coach of the Year: 1 (1999)
- ACC Coach of the Year: 2 (1987, 1990)
- Sun Belt Coach of the Year: 1 (1979)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
| 2007-2023 | Coastal Carolina |
| 1994-2004 | Auburn |
| 1984-1994 | Clemson |
| 1975-1984 | South Alabama |
| 1972-1975 | Cumberland (TN) |
Cliff Ellis Facts
- Robert Clifford Ellis
- Born December 5, 1945
- Hometown: Marianna, Florida
- Alma Mater: Florida State University (BA, 1968) / Middle Tennessee State University (M.Ed, 1972)
- Started his coaching career as an assistant coach at Ruckel Junior High and Niceville High School, both in Niceville, FL
- Was head coach at Vanguard HS in Ocala, FL for one season (1971-72)
- First collegiate stop was as head coach and AD at NAIA Cumberland (TN) for 3 seasons, compiling an overall record of 78-12
- Became a Division I head coach in 1975, taking over at South Alabama where we would win 171 games in eight seasons
- Left to take over as the head coach at Clemson in 1984, winning 177 games at ten seasons as the Tigers’ head coach
- Went to five NITs and three NCAA Tournaments, though their 1990 Sweet Sixteen appearance was later vacated due an ineligible player
- Took over as the Auburn head coach in 1994, coaching those Tigers for ten seasons and winning 186 games there
- Appeared in three NCAA Tournaments (two Sweet Sixteens) and four NITs during his Auburn tenure
- Fired following the 2003-04 season and was out of coaching for several years
- Hired in July 2007 to be the head basketball coach at Coastal Carolina, a position he held for 16+ seasons
- Has led the Chanticleers to the postseason ten times (including two NCAA Tournaments and two NITs)
- Won 20+ games six times during his sixteen seasons at the helm
- Finished as the Runner-up in the CBI in both 2017 and 2021 and the TBC in 2022
- Announced his retirement from coaching in December 2023, the day after his 78th birthday, following a 55-year coaching career
Cliff Ellis Coaching Tree
- Tracy Dildy (Chicago State)
- Wes Flanigan (Little Rock)
- Bobby Hussey (Virginia Tech)
- Robbie Laing (Campbell, Jones County JC)
- Mike LaPlante (Jacksonville State)
- Bobby Lutz (Charlotte)
- Robert McCullum (Florida A&M, South Florida, Western Michigan)
- Benny Moss (Coastal Carolina)
- Richie Riley (South Alabama, Nicholls State)
- Rory White (Dakota Wizards, Idaho Stampede, overseas)
- Charlton Young (Georgia Southern)
^ overall record includes head coaching positions at both the NCAA Division I and NAIA levels
** Listed records and accomplishments for this coach do not include wins or appearances later vacated by the NCAA