BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Cliff Ellis, who coached Auburn for 10 seasons from 1994-2004, will be honored as one of 14 former greats from all Southeastern Conference member institutions, as part of SEC Men's Legends Presented by Allstate® at the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament on March 13-17 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.
Each legend will be recognized during halftime of their team's first game of the tournament, as well as a group introduction at halftime of the first semifinal game on Saturday.
Ellis ranks third all-time in career coaching wins at Auburn with a 186-125 record. He led the Tigers to a 14-2 record in league play en route to the 1999 SEC regular-season championship title. His teams also made three NCAA Tournament appearances (1999, 2000 and 2003) including two Sweet 16 appearances in 1999 and 2003 (lost to eventual champion Syracuse).
The 1998-99 team finished ranked No. 4 in the country by The Associated Press with a 29-4 overall record. Honored as the 1999 National Coach of the Year by The Associated Press, John & Nellie Wooden Award, USBWA, Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News and Basketball News, Ellis is the only Auburn men's basketball coach in program history to be named National Coach of the Year.
A two-time SEC Coach of the Year in 1995 (Anniston Star) and 1999 (Associated Press, SEC Coaches and The Birmingham News), 18 of his players at Auburn were selected to the All-SEC Teams, while two were named All-Americans (Chris Porter and Doc Robinson in 1999).
Three Auburn players were drafted into the NBA during Ellis' tenure – Mamadou N'Diaye (Denver Nuggets, First Round) and Chris Porter (Golden State Warriors, Second Round) in 2000 and Jamison Brewer (Indiana Pacers, Second Round) in 2001.
Ellis announced his retirement from coaching in December of 2023. He finished his illustrious career as the ninth all-time winningest coach in NCAA Division I history with 831 wins combined at South Alabama (1975-1984), Clemson (1984-1994), Auburn (1994-2004) and Coastal Carolina (2007-2023).
Ellis is the only coach in NCAA Division I history to win at least 170 games at four different institutions. He is also one of only four coaches in NCAA Division I history to make multiple NCAA Tournament appearances with four separate schools.
2024 SEC Men's Legends Presented by Allstate®
Alabama – Richard Hendrix, Basketball
Arkansas – Derek Hood, Basketball
Auburn – Cliff Ellis, Basketball
Florida – Taurean Green, Basketball
Georgia – Rashad Wright, Basketball
Kentucky – Orlando "Tubby" Smith, Basketball
LSU – Darrel Mitchell, Basketball
Ole Miss – Dwayne Curtis, Basketball
Mississippi State – Timmy Bowers, Basketball
Missouri – Willie Smith, Basketball
South Carolina – Joe Rhett, Basketball
Tennessee – Chris Lofton, Basketball
Texas A&M – Elston Turner, Basketball
Vanderbilt – Frank Seckar, Basketball