Ellis to Retire
Aug 16, 2000 | Men's Golf
August 16, 2000
After 27 years as head men's golf coach at Texas A&M, Bob Ellis will retire at the end of the 2000-01 season, A&M Athletics Director Wally Groff said Wednesday.
"We are very appreciative of the loyalty and dedication Bob has had for Texas A&M in his long tenure here," Groff said. "Not only the athletic department, but the former students and his players all owe him a large measure of gratitude. I'm glad he will remain a part of the community and we certainly wish him and his family the best. It is my hope that his final season will be successful and fulfilling for him."
Groff said a search committee, chaired by Associate Athletic Director Mike Caruso, will begin taking applications in January. Members of the committee will be named at a later date. Caruso, the administrator for the men's and women's golf programs, said he hopes to have a new coach in place by May or June.
"Bob has really been a pleasure to work with," Caruso said. "He's a class individual who has done a first-class job in operating his program. He's made my job much easier. I'll miss him and so will the A&M community. He's devoted a large portion of his life to the A&M golf program and is one of the most loyal people you'll ever find.
"After the first of the year, we'll begin the formal process of identifying the best candidates for the job," Caruso added. "With the construction of The Traditions Golf and Country Club in Bryan, which will be the home of the men's and women's golf teams, along with a first-class university such as Texas A&M, we expect the position to attract a lot of interest."
Under Ellis's leadership, the A&M men's golf program has ranked among the best in the nation, winning two championships in the Southwest Conference and making 15 NCAA Tournament appearances in the last 26 years. Ellis's teams have advanced to postseason play in all but two of his seasons at the helm. In 1998, Ellis was inducted into the National Golf Coaches Hall of Fame by the Golf Coaches Association of America.
"My wife and I decided that there are some things we want to do and places we want to see that we wouldn't be able to if I continued as golf coach," Ellis said. "I thought this would be a good time to step down. I really want to thank A&M for all the support I've received over the years. The athletic directors I've worked under have all been tremendously supportive, along with the coaches in all the other sports. The people in the athletic department have always created an atmosphere where I've wanted to go to work every day."
Ellis has been regarded as one of college golf's top instructors and strategists. His Aggies claimed the 1996 NCAA Central Regional Title in Ann Arbor, Mich., and his teams also won SWC crowns in 1982 and 1987, earning him conference coach of the year honors both seasons. In addition, he was named SWC coach of the year in 1977 and 1994 after leading A&M to second-place conference finishes.
In 1995, Ellis coached the U.S. Junior Team to the world title at the World Junior Championships in Japan. In the competitive Southwest Conference, the Aggies finished fourth or better 17 times. In addition to the two championship teams, the Aggies placed second in the conference twice and third three times under Ellis. Four of Ellis's teams finished in the top 10 nationally, including a school-record fourth-place finish in 1982.
"My only regret is that we didn't win more conference titles and bring home a national championship," Ellis said. "We won a lot of tournaments, had some good performances and came close to a national title in 1982. But I guess you always think you should have done more. This job has been just a dream come true. To think that 27 years have gone by is incredible."
Ellis also led the way in endowing the A&M men's golf program with a series of endowment golf tournaments over the years. Two years ago, the endowment program reached it's goal of $1 million.
"Bob was very diligent and worked hard over the years to endow the golf program," Groff said. "Along with the success he's enjoyed, that will be his legacy to the future of the golf program. It took him more than 20 years to endow the program and he did it knowing he would not be the one to reap the benefits. That's a prime example of the kind of person Bob is."
Ellis's players have earned All-America citations 29 times, all-conference honors 47 times, and have won 38 individual tournament titles, including four conference titles and an NCAA regional crown.
"The players we've had come through here have been a tremendous source of joy not only for me but for my family as well," Ellis said. "We've had some truly fine young men come through our program and they have gone on to represent Texas A&M very well in many different walks of life."
Promising professionals such as current PGA TOUR members Jeff Maggert, David Ogrin and Danny Briggs, and current BUY.COM TOUR players such as Marco Gortana and Shane Bertsch, refined their games under Ellis's watchful eye, along with former tour members such as Anthony Rodriguez, Philip Parkin, Gary Kruegar, Richard Cromwell, Steve Bowman and Kel Devlin.
Maggert was the player of the year on the Ben Hogan Tour in 1990 and has been part of three U.S. Ryder Cup teams, playing a key role in the American victory in 1999. He won the 1993 Walt Disney Classic and in 1999 won the World Match Play Championship, earning the largest single paycheck in professional golf history. Ogrin won his first tour tournament in 1996 at the LaCantera Texas Open in San Antonio. No school had more players among the PGA TOUR's top 35 money winners in 1996 or 1997.
Ellis began his lifelong affair with golf at age 11, when he worked as a caddy at North Shore Country Club in Glenview, Ill. Four years later, he was operating a driving range there. After finishing his prep career at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Ill., where he was a classmate of actress Ann Margaret, Ellis joined Labron Harris's Oklahoma State golf team as a walk-on. He eventually earned a scholarship and helped the Cowboys win the 1963 NCAA title.
The legendary Harris later said, "Bob Ellis has the two greatest requirements needed to reach the top: hard work and honesty. His integrity is beyond reproach."
After graduation, Ellis spent three years as head professional at South Hills Country Club in Fond du Lac, Wisc., and one year at Tuckaway Country Club in Milwaukee. After that, he opened a golf instructional shop in Stuart, Fla., developing video training techniques that he uses today at A&M. He accepted the job in Aggieland in the fall of 1974. At A&M, Ellis has conducted the renowned John Jacobs Golf Schools each summer and also has conducted golf schools in Germany and Mexico.
Ellis is married to the former Elizabeth Puchert and has five children: Karen (43), Joyce (42), Debbie (39), Robert (36) and Peter (33).
"My wife has always been very much involved with our program and has been a source of strength for me and our players," Ellis said. "We're hoping that this year she'll be able to travel to every tournament with us."
Ellis said the construction The Traditions Golf and Country Club, along with other planned golf facilities in the area, gives the A&M golf programs a chance to join the nation's elite in the coming years.
"I wish we had had these courses sooner, but I don't have any regrets about that," Ellis said. "In today's climate, you have to have great facilities to recruit. On the other hand, we almost won a national title in 1982 playing local courses. But the new courses, and renovations to existing courses, will make tournament preparation much easier for the golf teams. The swimming and tennis programs really took off after they got their outstanding facilities in place. The golf programs are set to take off as well. I hope A&M wins the national championship every year. I'll be their biggest fan."
