Our Clients:

Field Level Media - Professional sports content solutions | FLM

Dec 6, 2023 11:53 am

Active leader in wins, Coastal Carolina coach Cliff Ellis to retire

Coastal Carolina’s Cliff Ellis is set to retire as basketball’s oldest active head coach and the only one with more than 800 Division I wins, according to multiple reports Wednesday.

Ellis has 833 Division I wins under his belt in a career that has spanned five decades. Entering this season, he was ranked No. 10 on the NCAA’s all-time wins list.

After legendary Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim retired at the end of last season at age 78, Ellis became the oldest active coach in NCAA men’s basketball. Ellis turned 78 on Tuesday.

Ellis started his Division I coaching career at South Alabama in 1975, notching a 171-84 record over nine seasons. He compiled a 179-129 mark in 10 seasons at Clemson and a 186-125 record in another 10 at Auburn.

In a break from coaching after Auburn, Ellis spent time as a TV analyst on college basketball broadcasts before returning to the sidelines at Coastal Carolina in 2007. He’s amassed a 297-228 record with the Chanticleers, who started the season with a 3-5 mark.

Ellis’ teams have made 10 appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Most recently, Coastal Carolina won the Big South tournament in 2014-15 to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, where they lost in the first round to Wisconsin.

Including a coaching stop at NAIA Cumberland University in the early 1970s, Ellis has 909 career wins.

The school has scheduled a press conference for Wednesday afternoon during which Ellis’ retirement is expected to be announced.

–Field Level Media

You may also like

a'ja Wilson
Jul 16, 2025 10:23 pm

A’ja Wilson racks up 37 points, Aces stave off Wings’ late charge

A’ja Wilson poured in a season-high 37 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to help the Las Vegas Aces hold on for a 90-86 win over the Dallas Wings on Wednesday…

liberty
Jul 16, 2025 9:42 pm

Breanna Stewart’s big game helps Liberty rout Caitlin Clark-less Fever

Breanna Stewart scored 24 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out seven assists, and the host New York Liberty pulled away for a 98-77 win over the Indiana Fever on…

caitlin clark
Jul 16, 2025 6:52 pm

Caitlin Clark declared out for Fever’s game vs. Liberty

Indiana’s Caitlin Clark has been declared out for Wednesday night’s road contest against the New York Liberty due to a right groin injury. The Fever star guard’s availability for All-Star…

More Basketball News

a'ja Wilson
Jul 16, 2025 10:23 pm

A’ja Wilson racks up 37 points, Aces stave off Wings’ late charge

A’ja Wilson poured in a season-high 37 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to help the Las Vegas Aces hold on for a 90-86 win over the Dallas Wings on Wednesday…

liberty
Jul 16, 2025 9:42 pm

Breanna Stewart’s big game helps Liberty rout Caitlin Clark-less Fever

caitlin clark
Jul 16, 2025 6:52 pm

Caitlin Clark declared out for Fever’s game vs. Liberty

nneka ogwumike
Jul 16, 2025 5:32 pm

Nneka Ogwumike guides Storm past Valkyries

Chris Livingston
Jul 16, 2025 4:44 pm

Report: Bucks bringing back F Chris Livingston

Read all
fb-post
advertisment
title-icon

Upcoming events

See all odds
[gs-fb-comments]