FORT MYERS, Fla.- After eight seasons on the bench for the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers, including the past four as the Head Coach, Dr. Jerald Ellis is stepping down from his post with the FSW Women's Basketball program. 

 

Ellis was 70-35 in his four seasons as the Bucs Head Coach which included a pair of Southern Conference Championships and Conference Coach of the Year honors. 

 

Ellis was there since day one with the Bucs, spending four years as an Assistant Coach on the sidelines before taking over the program. Overall in eight seasons with FSW he helped the Bucs to 170 wins and five Conference Championships while recruiting and coaching 24 players who moved onto the NCAA Division 1 level.  

 

"When word got out that I was planning to spend more time with family, my phone started ringing off the hook" Ellis said. "Men and women I had coached over the last 40 years wanted to make sure I included them on my "family" outings. To me that says it all. It hasn't been about the winning and all the accolades that come with that, but rather about the lifelong friends and relationships that being a coach honors you with. I am humbled and grateful that I had the opportunity to spend my last 8 years here at FSW" he said. 

 

It hasn't just been success on the floor for the Bucs though under Ellis' leadership as the FSW Women's Basketball Team has seen an increase in their team GPA in each of the past three seasons since he took over the helm. 

 

FSW Director of Athletics George Sanders expressed his appreciation for Ellis saying "Dr. Ellis stepped in in a crucial spot for us right in the middle of Covid.  He led our program to success both on and off the floor while putting a focus on graduation and our players getting an opportunity to continue at the next level.  We are grateful for everything that he has done for our program the past eight years and know he will enjoy getting to spend more time with his family moving forward."

 

The Bucs search for the third Head Coach in program history will begin immediatley.