In the Spring of 2020, Clifton Ellis was hired as the head coach to lead the Men’s Basketball program at Temple College, returning twenty-five years after he first arrived on the TC campus as a player for the Leopards under legendary coach Kirby Johnson. Ellis spent twenty years as a highly successful high school basketball coach in the San Antonio area and one of the most respected coaches in the state of Texas. Coach Ellis was a teacher and head coach at Samuel Clemens High School in the San Antonio suburb of Schertz. While at Clemens, the Buffaloes captured three straight district championships at the 4A, 5A, and 6A classifications, including three straight trips to the Regional IV Tournament and leading the school to their first ever appearances in the UIL State Tournament, earning back-to-back UIL State Tournament appearances in 2014 and 2015. While at Clemens, Ellis coached Chad Cantrell, Devante Ford, and Theo Grant, all went on to play basketball for Temple College.

Prior to Clemens, Ellis was named the first ever head coach at San Antonio Karen Wagner High School in 2005. During his six years as the varsity head coach, the Thunderbirds won 4 district championships, made 3 straight trips to the Region IV Tournament, and earned back-to-back UIL State Tournament appearances in 2009 and 2010, making him one of only three head coaches in San Antonio high school boys basketball to lead two different programs to the UIL State Tournament and the only one to take two different programs to back-to-back Boys UIL State Tournament Appearances. For three straight years his Thunderbird teams ranked in the top 50 nationally by ESPN. While at Wagner, Ellis coached future NBA players Andre Roberson (OKC Thunder) and Jordan Clarkson (Los Angeles Laker and Utah Jazz).

Ellis overall record as a high school head coach was 367-133 in 14 seasons. He was named the San Antonio Express News Coach of the Year twice in 2009 and 2015. He was named the News 4 WOAI Coach of the Year in 2009 and in that same year he was also the Rio Grande Valley Coaches Association Coach of the Year. In 2016, Ellis had the distinction of earning the National Federation of State High School Associations Coach of the Year for the State of Texas.

Before becoming a head coach, Ellis served as an assistant coach at Converse Judson under legendary hall of fame coach Mike Wacker. In four seasons, the Rockets made back-to-back Region IV Tournament appearances and Coach Ellis was nominated Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Assistant Coach of the Year in 2004. Coach Ellis also served as an assistant coach at South San High School where the Bobcats won the district championship in 2001 and were led by Sergio Sanchez, who would go on to play for Temple College and was named NTJCAA Conference Player of the Year in 2003.

Coach Ellis has been a member of the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches and served as a regional coordinator while on their board of directors from 2011-2015. Ellis has also served on the Temple Education Foundation (TEF) and in 2012, Ellis helped establish the San Antonio Area Association of Basketball Coaches and eventually served as president of the association. Ellis is a member of the Texas State University “T” Association that serves current and former letter winners at Texas State. Ellis is also a member of the Texas High School Coaches Association and was a speaker on two occasions at the annual THSCA convention.

Ellis has experience coaching internationally and is a FIBA certified coach through USA Basketball. In the summer of 2016, Ellis was named the head coach of the North Macedonia Under-18 National Team in the B Division of the FIBA European Championships, helping the team improve from a 3^rd tier finish in 2015 to a 2^nd tier finish in 2016. Other international coaching experience consists of serving as the North America Coaching Liaison and part of the coaching council for The Basketball Embassy, a non-profit organization that works in sports diplomacy. In 2017, Ellis served as a coach and mentor for the FIBA Youth Development Camps led by the Turkish Basketball Federation and working in conjunction with the basketball federations of Romania, Kosovo, Bulgaria, and North Macedonia. The camps helped bridge the historical and cultural differences of neighboring countries throughout the Balkans in Southeastern Europe. In 2024, Coach Ellis was part of a delegation of coaches to take part in the Sports Programming Initiative for Leadership Development Through Sports in Zambia, Africa. The exchange program helped to promote tolerance, leadership skills, and respect for diversity through World Learning and the U.S. Department of State.

Ellis is a 1995 graduate of Roosevelt High School in San Antonio where he was a three year all district player and team captain of Roosevelt’s 1995 Region IV finalist team. Ellis played two years for Temple College, earning all-conference honors and serving as team captain on the Leopards 1997 regional finalist team. After Temple, Ellis went on to start as point guard for two years at Southwest Texas State (now Texas State), where he led the team in assists, finished 5^th in the nation in free-throw percentage (91%) in 1998, and helped lead the team to the 1999 Southland Conference Championship.

Coach Ellis earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise & Sports Science from Southwest Texas State, a Master’s Degree in Education Administration from Texas A&M San Antonio, and a PhD in Sports Leadership from Concordia University Chicago.

Coach Ellis and his wife Aletha have two boys Clifton Ellis Jr. and Aiden.