When Evanston Athletic Director Chris Livatino discovered he needed to hire a new head basketball coach back in the spring of 2010, his first priority was to find someone who was a proven winner.
Mike Ellis has been that --- and more --- while elevating the Evanston program to new heights.
The ETHS coach learned this week that he has been named to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the first Evanston coach to earn that recognition. He will join the rest of the Class of 2024 at the organization’s annual banquet in April at Illinois State University.
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Ellis is the only Wildkit coach to lead the team to back-to-back Final Four appearances, and, after Tuesday’s 59-33 win over Bulls Prep, needs just three more victories on his resume to reach the 300 plateau at ETHS. He is in his 21st season as a head coach overall, posting a won-loss record of 156-55 in 7 seasons at Peoria Richwoods --- including two state runnerup finishes --- to go with his 297-107 mark with the Wildkits.
Do the math and you’ll find his teams have won 74 percent of their games with Ellis at the helm. He suffered just one losing season in 20 years, a 10-19 mark in his third year at ETHS. Fifteen times he has guided teams to 20-win campaigns.
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Ellis’ resume also includes 7 sectional titles, 15 regional championships and 13 conference crowns.
The son of a successful high school coach in Ohio, Charlie Ellis, Mike played his high school basketball in Iowa and went on to earn his bachelor’s degree at the University of Iowa.
He has been named an IBCA District Coach of the Year a total of 13 times while leading the programs at Richwoods and ETHS and earned the ultimate honor this week.
“I’m so honored,” Ellis said. “To be recognized by my coaching peers and the legends who run that organization is a tremendous honor. But really, my thoughts are with the 16 players on this (current) basketball team, not on my 21 years as a high school head coach in Illinois. No one ever gets into coaching setting out to be a Hall of Fame coach. What you want is to be a Hall of Fame mentor.
“When I reflect on the past, I think about all the Hall of Fame coaches I’ve been exposed to and worked under. Steve Bergman is a Hall of Famer from where I started, at Iowa City West, and I learned so much from Bob Darling in Peoria. He was like a big brother to me and he’s the one who taught me how to run a basketball program. I probably wouldn’t be here without the lessons I was taught and the time I spent in Peoria.
“Every single one of the assistant coaches I’ve had really helped me build the programs at both Richwoods and Evanston. I’m fortunate to have worked with all of them. I love all of the kids I’ve coached, from team to team and season to season. I’ve tried to be a role model for them and show them the right way, so they become their greatest AFTER they’re not with you anymore.”
Basketball is in his bloodline, of course, as the son of a coach.
“I grew up in a basketball family,” Ellis said. “But my Dad never pushed me, never forced me to get out in the driveway and work on my game. He did coach me in 8th grade, and in my freshman year of high school (after the family moved to Iowa) and I enjoyed playing for him very much. He taught me a lot.
“When I was a 6th or 7th grader at basketball camps, I knew I wanted to be a coach some day. I wanted to learn more than the next guy about the game. And when I helped out at Iowa City (while still a college student) I saw how much joy there was working with teen-agers. I wanted to help teach them life lessons and values.”
Ellis’ current squad improved to 6-1 on the season Tuesday in what figured to be a rebuilding year, considering the Wildkits had no starters returning from a year ago. The Kits host Glenbrook North Friday in a key Central Suburban League South division matchup, then will travel to Mount Carmel on Saturday to test Marian Catholic at the Team Rose Shootout.
Bulls Prep (2-6) didn’t put up much of a fight in the second half after trailing only 25-15 at the halftime intermission. Theo Rocca’s 18 points led Evanston and Ellis was able to use all 14 players who suited up. Twelve of them scored, including freshman Dion Lane (5 points) and sophomores Timi Ogunsanya (7 points, 1 rebound) and Monte Dillard Jr. (3 points, 3 rebounds).
The winners shot 46 percent (22-of-48) from the field compared to Bulls Prep’s 32 percent, or 13-of-40.
Evanston opened the second half with an 8-0 scoring run, including two buckets by Rocca and one each by Antoine Thomas and Jonny Dickson, and stretched the lead to 43-23 by the end of the period.
“This was a good start to a big week for us,” Ellis said. “We didn’t shoot it too well in the first half because we tried to do too much as individuals. We were more team-centered in the second half. Our transition game (the visitors turned the ball over 8 times in the third quarter) enabled us to get out and play against less than 5 defenders most of the time.”
