Cliff Ellis returns to the Plains as a visitor
AUBURN – It took over 10 years for Cliff Ellis to return to Auburn's campus.
He didn't miss much in his time away as far as basketball goes.
Ever since his firing in March 2004, Auburn has been unable to replicate the success it saw under Ellis, the second-winningest coach in program history who led the Tigers to the 1999 SEC Championship and three NCAA Tournament appearances, including two Sweet 16s. Auburn has failed to make it to the Big Dance ever since.
Ellis will get to see firsthand what he believes is the beginning of a resurgence of the Auburn basketball program under coach Bruce Pearl Friday night as he brings his Coastal Carolina team to the Plains.
"It's a different feeling when you come in as an opposing coach on a sideline at Auburn," said Ellis, who went 186-125 overall and 73-87 in SEC play from 1994-2004. "It's really unusual. It's a strange feeling, is the best way that I can describe it but I'm glad to be back."
Pearl engineered Ellis' return, which is part of a three-game deal between the teams with Auburn playing at Coastal Carolina in 2015 and the Chanticleers returning to the Plains in 2016. After gaining the support of Ellis' former players during a letterman's reunion over the summer, Pearl got the reluctant Ellis, who turns 69 Friday, to come around to the "win-win" idea.
"Let us honor him, and let us remember all the good that was done. Let his former players that played for him kind of relish a little bit," Pearl said. "I'm glad that Cliff was able to come back and play in a game. We wouldn't play a 2-for-1 very often against (the Big South) conference, but we would for Cliff because he was a former coach here."
The 1998-99 Tigers, who Ellis led to a 29-4 record, SEC Championship and Sweet 16 appearance, will hold a private reunion after tonight's game. Ellis described the "euphoria" of winning the 1999 conference title and the Cliff Dwellers at the old Beard-Eaves Coliseum.
"Without question, it's the most powerful team that Auburn has ever had," Ellis said. "I will say this, and I hope it's Bruce, the next guy who wins the regular-season championship, I will kiss his ring because I know how hard it is, and I think people associated with the program know how hard it is."
Ellis never imagined the program would see such dire times in the decade-long "slide" after his firing, though he acknowledged it's a "hard job" for an array of reasons.
"That's surprised me," Ellis said. "It's a very difficult program to (make it to the NCAA Tournament) every single year here. Until the Auburn people realize that, if they ever get it going again, and I think they will, they need to understand that. They didn't understand it at the time. It's apparent. The next time around, I hope they learn from it."
After millions of dollars on facilities, including the $86 million Auburn Arena, and coaching staffs over the last 10 years, Ellis firmly believes Pearl is going to turn the program around.
"He's got a lot of energy, I can see it when I talk to him and visit with him," Ellis said of Pearl. "He plays a style of game that we used to play when those championships were here. He's pressing, he's doing things to try to get possessions from those teams like Kentucky and people like that that are going to come in here and have all the All-Americans.
"So he's going to bring that style of play that fans like, fans are going to like him, and he's going to get people involved and he's going to recruit. If you do that, it's good. I want to see it turned back."
For Auburn (3-3) to continue the turnaround this season it'll have to get through Ellis' Chanticleers before a nine-day break for final exams.
The Tigers, who are 2-0 at home this season, are coming off a heart-breaking 46-44 loss at Texas Tech and can't allow any carryover from Wednesday's defeat in the closing seconds to affect Friday night's game against a Coastal Carolina (5-2) squad that didn't come to the Plains to lie down.
"I'm here for Bruce, I'm here for Auburn, I'm here to come back but I'm here to win," Ellis said. "and very thankful for the 10 years that I had the opportunity to coach Auburn."
Auburn vs. Coastal Carolina
WHEN: 8 p.m. today
WHERE: Auburn Arena, Auburn
RECORDS: Auburn 3-3, Coastal Carolina 5-2
ON THE AIR: TV – Fox Sports South. Radio - WMSP-AM 740, WLWI-FM 92.3
AUBURN LINEUP: G K.C. Ross-Miller, 6-0, GS., 7.7 ppg., 2.0 apg.; G Tahj Shamsid-Deen, 5-9, So., 7.7 ppg.; G K.T. Harrell, 6-4, Sr., 17.2 ppg.; F Jordon Granger, 6-5, Jr., 5.3 ppg., 4.0 rpg.; F Cinmeon Bowers, 6-7, Jr., 13.3 ppg., 12.2 rpg.
COASTAL CAROLINA LINEUP: G Warren Gillis, 6-3, Sr., 12.0 ppg., 2.8 apg.; G Shivaughn Wiggins, 5-11, So., 10.4 ppg., 3.9 rpg., 3.0 apg.; G Elijah Wilson, 6-4, So., 8.0 ppg., 3.7 rpg.; F Badou Diagne, 6-7, Jr., 7.4 ppg., 7.3 rpg.; F Tristian Curtis, 6-7, Jr., 3.2 ppg., 4.5 rpg.
NOTEWORTHY: Former Auburn coach Cliff Ellis is returning to the Plains as part of a three-game deal between the programs, with Auburn going to Coastal Carolina in 2015 and the Chanticleers returning in 2016. Ellis' 1998-99 Auburn team, which he led to a 29-4 record, SEC Championship and Sweet 16 appearance, will hold a private reunion after the game. … K.C. Ross-Miller has nine steals in the last two games. …. Graduate student Antoine Mason could miss his sixth straight game due to a sprained ankle. There is no clear timetable for the return of the nation's leading returning scorer. … Chanticleers guard Warren Gillis had a 27-game streak of scoring in double-figures snapped on Tuesday. … Auburn is 2-0 at home and has alternated wins and losses thus far this season. … Auburn won the only previous meeting of the school, an 82-66 win in 1995, and is 14-6 all-time against Big South teams while Coastal Carolina is 3-12 all-time against SEC schools.