Tim Ellis has already spent a full summer working with North Murray’s boys basketball team.
The expectation is that becoming the high school’s head coach should be a painless transition.
With the regular season three months away, Ellis has been named coach of the Mountaineers. He takes over for Eric Bishop, who was the only head coach the program had in its three years of existence, the past two as a varsity team. Bishop, who led North Murray to an appearance in the Class 2A state tournament last season, took a job with Whitfield County Schools but is not planning on coaching basketball this year.
Ellis said North Murray’s administration — specifically Roger Rainey, the school’s athletic director, and Maria Bradley, its principal — made him feel comfortable about taking charge.
“It makes a difference when you know you have the support of the people over you,” said Ellis, who added Murray County’s history of competitive basketball also made the position desirable. “When they built this school, I think there was no doubt it would carry over.”
Ellis, 40, has 17 years of teaching experience and 15 years of coaching experience. He was the assistant boys basketball coach at Southeast Whitfield from 1997 to 2002 and head coach from 2002 to 2004. He also assisted with football, softball and baseball at the school. After that, he became an assistant girls basketball coach at Dade County, working there from 2005-2011 and also helping with the golf programs.
He came to North Murray in April as an assistant football coach for first-year head coach David Gann. When Chris Bishop — Eric’s brother — stepped down as an assistant boys basketball coach in the offseason, Ellis helped Eric Bishop with summer training. Rainey pointed to that summer work and Ellis’ experience as reasons for his hire, noting he has seen the coach in action.
“This summer I saw him step right in and work a lot with the kids,” Rainey said. “I just think he brings a lot to the table, something I think can take our program to the next level.”
Said Bradley, “Coach Ellis has really been leading the basketball program all summer, and it’s been really impressive to see how hard our kids were working. So we really didn’t have to look far for a head basketball coach. We had one right before our eyes. When we hired coach Ellis early on, we knew he would bring a lot to our athletics both in football and basketball.”
An internal hire was all but a necessity for the school.
“Fulfilling our football coaching staff, we pretty much filled every teaching slot,” Rainey said.
North Murray finished 21-10 last season, finishing third in Region 7-2A to qualify for state, where the Mountaineers lost 68-50 in the opening round.
The Mountaineers finished last season with four seniors on the roster, but they had plenty of contributions from a junior class of six. That group includes Zach Vess, who was selected to The Daily Citizen’s All-Area Boys Basketball Team, and Brady Swilling, the 2012 All-Area Spring Team’s Boys Athlete of the Year.
In fact, Ellis believes the challenge is preparing for when the Class of 2013 graduates.
“One thing they had to understand is they came in when this school was developed and built,” Ellis said. “They’ve been the core of this basketball program, even as sophomores. I was in the same region, so I paid attention to all the teams. ...
“There were some upperclassmen like (all-area honorable mention T.J. Duckett) that you can’t replace, but that group, the group of seniors this year, is the core. So my biggest goal this summer was to develop kids behind them.”
Ellis will get a $5,000 coaching supplement on top of his teaching salary. He will teach health and physical education, along with driver’s education.
North Murray High School Mountaineers
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Matt Hamilton/The Daily Citizen New North Murray boys basketball coach Tim Ellis, left, talks to Maria Bradley, principal, and athletic director Roger Rainey at the high school on Thursday.
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August 24, 2012
Ellis moves into top spot for North Murray hoops
- North Murray High School Mountaineers
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Redmond is new head coach for North Murray baseball
David Redmond
After a change that saw him go from a career in retail to teaching and three years as an assistant baseball coach in the Murray County school system, David Redmond will be a head coach next school year.
Continued ... - Blair tied for second, North Murray girls third in 3A
- Mountaineers’ Vess ready for challenge at Emmanuel
- A look ahead: State golf tournaments today at Nob North, Dalton Golf and Country Club
- Prep golf: Blair will hone skills on greens
- May 18, 2013
- Prep Tennis: NM MVP at the net for DSC
- Prep Volleyball: NM duo will play together in college
- May 17, 2013
- Spring football: Teams looking for answers
- May 15, 2013
- Woodlawn wins national title, sets record
- May 13, 2013
- A Look Ahead: The dominant sport
- May 10, 2013
- Girls Prep Track and Field: Two claim medals at state meet
- May 9, 2013
- State Soccer: Mountaineers’ year ended by shootout
- State Track and Field: Mettle to prove it
- May 8, 2013
- State soccer: Area teams ready for another round
- May 7, 2013
- Granger becomes North Murray softball coach
Click here for more North Murray High School Mountaineers stories
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