University of Memphis Athletics
Photo by: EIU Athletics
Kyle Ellis Named Track And Field Assistant Coach
Sep 13, 2019 | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
Ellis had previous coaching stints at Eastern Illinois, Wisconsin, Texas A&M.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Kyle Ellis, who had recent stints on staffs at Wisconsin and Texas A&M, joins the Tigers track and field program as an assistant coach, University of Memphis head coach Kevin Robinson announced Friday. Ellis will coach the jumps and pole vault groups.
"He's a great fit," said Robinson. "Kyle has a lot of experience as a jumps coach. He has a similar philosophy to what I have and what (former) Coach Matt (Koelling) had before him. This should make the coaching transition much smoother for the athletes in those groups. He's a great guy with a strong work ethic."
Ellis comes to Memphis after two years with the Aggies in College Station, Texas, where he worked with the jumps and multis groups. In his time there, Ellis helped coach four NCAA champions, two NCAA runners-up and one NCAA bronze medalist, and he had five pupils set Texas A&M program records. He also coached 13 top-10 performances in Texas A&M history and had three female high jumpers post marks of 5-10.5 or higher.
In between his college positions, Ellis served as the head jumps coach at Lone-Star Athletics in 2016-17 and assistant jumps coach at Kentucky Elite Athletics from 2015-17.
Before moving to the club coaching ranks, Ellis worked with the pole vaulters and multis at the University of Wisconsin. His coaching efforts in Madison, Wis., produced three Big Ten Conference champions and 17 top-10 performances in Badgers track and field history. Under Ellis' tutelage, Zach Ziemek was a 2015 World Championships qualifier in the decathlon and set the USA record in the decathlon pole vault (17-10.5; 5.45m). Ellis also coached eight-time All-America heptathlete Georgia Ellenwood, who holds the school record in the event, and two-time Big Ten pole vault champion Taylor Amann, who has the school record in that event.
Ellis jumped into the collegiate coaching ranks at his alma mater, Eastern Illinois, immediately after his graduation in 2009. He served five seasons as the Panthers' assistant coach in charge of the jumps, multis and short sprints. During his time in Charleston, Ill., Ellis led 27 athletes to Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) championships and coached 39 top-10 performances in Eastern Illinois history.
At Eastern Illinois, Ellis had three pole vaulters score points at the NCAA Championships. In 2013, Jade Riebold was the NCAA runner-up in the event and became the first female All-American in Eastern Illinois history. On the men's side at the same NCAA Championships, Mick Viken placed eighth with a school and OVC record mark. Riebold and Viken both were named as part of the 2019 EIU Hall of Fame class. A year later at the 2014 NCAA Championships, Ellis coached Peter Geraghty to a fourth-place performance in the pole vault.
Ellis attended Eastern Illinois from 2005-09 and competed in the pole vault for the Panthers for two years. He once held the program's indoor pole vault record and now is third on the all-time list. Ellis, who earned 2009 All-OVC honors, is eighth on the Eastern Illinois all-time pole vault outdoor list.
"He's a great fit," said Robinson. "Kyle has a lot of experience as a jumps coach. He has a similar philosophy to what I have and what (former) Coach Matt (Koelling) had before him. This should make the coaching transition much smoother for the athletes in those groups. He's a great guy with a strong work ethic."
Ellis comes to Memphis after two years with the Aggies in College Station, Texas, where he worked with the jumps and multis groups. In his time there, Ellis helped coach four NCAA champions, two NCAA runners-up and one NCAA bronze medalist, and he had five pupils set Texas A&M program records. He also coached 13 top-10 performances in Texas A&M history and had three female high jumpers post marks of 5-10.5 or higher.
In between his college positions, Ellis served as the head jumps coach at Lone-Star Athletics in 2016-17 and assistant jumps coach at Kentucky Elite Athletics from 2015-17.
Before moving to the club coaching ranks, Ellis worked with the pole vaulters and multis at the University of Wisconsin. His coaching efforts in Madison, Wis., produced three Big Ten Conference champions and 17 top-10 performances in Badgers track and field history. Under Ellis' tutelage, Zach Ziemek was a 2015 World Championships qualifier in the decathlon and set the USA record in the decathlon pole vault (17-10.5; 5.45m). Ellis also coached eight-time All-America heptathlete Georgia Ellenwood, who holds the school record in the event, and two-time Big Ten pole vault champion Taylor Amann, who has the school record in that event.
Ellis jumped into the collegiate coaching ranks at his alma mater, Eastern Illinois, immediately after his graduation in 2009. He served five seasons as the Panthers' assistant coach in charge of the jumps, multis and short sprints. During his time in Charleston, Ill., Ellis led 27 athletes to Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) championships and coached 39 top-10 performances in Eastern Illinois history.
At Eastern Illinois, Ellis had three pole vaulters score points at the NCAA Championships. In 2013, Jade Riebold was the NCAA runner-up in the event and became the first female All-American in Eastern Illinois history. On the men's side at the same NCAA Championships, Mick Viken placed eighth with a school and OVC record mark. Riebold and Viken both were named as part of the 2019 EIU Hall of Fame class. A year later at the 2014 NCAA Championships, Ellis coached Peter Geraghty to a fourth-place performance in the pole vault.
Ellis attended Eastern Illinois from 2005-09 and competed in the pole vault for the Panthers for two years. He once held the program's indoor pole vault record and now is third on the all-time list. Ellis, who earned 2009 All-OVC honors, is eighth on the Eastern Illinois all-time pole vault outdoor list.
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