Ellis joins Mississippi Valley State coaching staff

Coach Brian Ellis

Crestview, FL - July 1 was a big day for Crestview native and former Baker basketball player B.J. Ellis as he was named an assistant basketball coach at Mississippi Valley State University, a NCAA Division I school in Itta Bena, Miss.

The Delta Devils are best known for football, or at least one football player, Jerry Rice, the National Football League’s all-time leading receiver. That doesn’t mean MVSU doesn’t take basketball seriously.

The Delta Devils are coached by former Kentucky star Sean Woods. And it was one of Woods’ college games that helped fan the fire Ellis has for basketball.

“I’ve always loved basketball,” he said. "And I can remember sitting down and watching the game between Duke and Kentucky (the NCAA tournament East Region finals) when my boss was playing at Kentucky. He hit the floater to put Kentucky up over Duke and then of course Christian Laettner hit the shot in the last second (to give Duke the win).

“It was one of the craziest shots I’ve ever seen in basketball. To think that I would be his assistant, his right-hand man is unbelievable.”

In his own way Ellis has taken a less traveled path from Baker to Mississippi Valley State.

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