The college basketball world was struck with some shocking news on Tuesday regarding longtime Coastal Carolina head coach Cliff Ellis.
Ellis has a head coaching resume that dates all the way back to 1975, which obviously speaks to his longevity and ability to adjust and grow as a coach.
Unfortunately, Coastal Carolina has had a rough start to the 2023-24 season. They currently sit at 3-5 on the year. And now, their program is set to undergo a drastic change.
According to college basketball insider Jeff Goodman, Ellis will be retiring from coaching in the middle of the season. Assistant head coach Benny Moss will be taking over as the program’s interim head coach.
Coastal Carolina head coach Cliff Ellis is retiring, source told @themessenger.
Ellis is the oldest head coach in the country at 78.
Assistant Benny Moss will take over on interim basis.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) December 6, 2023
Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports added that there will be a press conference on Wednesday to make the new official.
Source: Coastal Carolina's Cliff Ellis is retiring.
Press Conference on Wednesday.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) December 6, 2023
It’s unclear if the poor start to the season played a factor in his decision to retire. But regardless, it brings an abrupt and shocking end to a very memorable and lengthy coaching career.
Ellis had several memorable stops over the course of his coaching career, including Clemson from 1984-1993, and a stop at Auburn from 1994-2003.
Throughout his illustrious coaching career, Ellis led his teams to the NCAA Tournament ten times. With 833 career wins, Ellis ranks in 11th place all-time amongst all college basketball coaches.
This sudden retirement means that Ellis won’t exactly get the sendoff that he clearly deserves as a head coach. But he will be remembered by a number of fanbases that he coached at for quite some time.
