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Clemens' Ellis looking forward to coaching Macedonia team

For the first time in his career, Clifton Ellis will step into the world of international basketball later this week when he starts coaching the Macedonia team that will play in the FIBA Under-18 European Championships. The tournament is scheduled for July 29 through Aug. 7 in the Macedonia capital of Skopje.

Credit: Photo by Antonio Morano bit.ly/XR79FT / Special to KENS5.com
Clifton Ellis coached Clemens to the University Interscholastic League state tournament in 2014 and 2015, and did the same at Judson in 2009 and 2010.

SAN ANTONIO – Clemens boys basketball coach Clifton Ellis is going to have some interesting stories to tell about his summer when he reports back to work in August.

For the first time in his career, Ellis will step into the world of international basketball later this week when he starts coaching the Macedonia team that will play in the FIBA Under-18 European Championships. The tournament is scheduled for July 29 through August 7 in the Macedonia capital of Skopje.

“I’m very excited about it,” said Ellis before flying to Macedonia on Tuesday.

Macedonia is in southeastern Europe and was part of the former Yugoslavia.

Flag of Macedonia, background basketball ball

“I’m looking forward to learning as much as I can from this experience, and being around other coaches and players," Ellis said. "It will be interesting to see how other countries develop their players. I just want to continue to grow.”

Ellis, 39, will live in Skopje during his stay in Macedonia. Ellis got the opportunity to coach the country’s Under-18 national team through former San Antonio-area boys basketball coach Chris Dial, who has directed basketball camps and clinics throughout the world since 2009.

Dial is the founder and CEO of Basketball Embassy, which is sponsoring a camp at Our Lady of the Lake University this week. A 1997 East Central High School graduate, Dial coached at St. Gerard, New Braunfels, McCollum and Schertz John Paul II before he started working with national basketball federations in Turkey, Romania, Greece, Israel, Palestine, Northern Cyprus, Kosovo and Bulgaria.

Statue of Macedonian warrior in Skopje

“I’ve watched Cliff coach and I’ve always been impressed with him,” Dial, 37, said Wednesday. “Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work and talk with him at a camp or clinic, and we developed a friendship. When Macedonia called out of the blue with this opportunity, Cliff was one of the first guys I thought about.

“I thought that not only would it be good for him, but it would be good for our organization. I know that Cliff is going to do a good job, just like he always does. You’re never going to be successful unless you surround yourself with successful people. I know I’m in good company when I’m around Cliff.”

Ellis has guided four teams at two schools to consecutive appearances at the UIL state tournament in the last eight seasons, Wagner in 2009 and 2010 and Clemens in 2014 and 2015.

Clifton Ellis was an assistant coach under Mike Wacker at Judson for four seasons before he became Wagner's first boys basketball coach in 2005. 

Former Taft coach Joey Tate is going to coach the Macedonia Under-16 team. He has been coaching international youth teams with Dial since his last season at Taft in 2014-15.

“I’ve really leaned on Joey,” Dial said. “He’s been all over the place. He just fell in love with [international basketball]. This is the first time Joey’s headed a team, so he and Cliff are kind of tag-teaming the Macedonia youth program this year.

“Unfortunately, I’ve been blamed for getting Joey out of the high school basketball scene in San Antonio because he was an exceptional high school coach. That’s not my aim. Believe me, I’m not trying to take Clifton Ellis out of the San Antonio community.”

Ellis’ doesn’t expect language to be a barrier on or off the court since his assistant coaches are from Macedonia. But there will be a slight learning curve for Ellis.

On the top of the Ohrid hills near the beautifull lake of the Balcans Erusalem

“It’s a different game than ours,” he said.

One of the biggest differences is that there’s a 24-second shot clock, just like the NBA, in Under-18 FIBA basketball.

“I think the international game is ahead of us at the youth level,” Ellis said. “One advantage that international players have is that they use the 24-second shot clock. They’re advanced not only at the skill level, but awareness-wise. They’re better at getting the ball into a scoring area quickly. They’re not looking over to the bench looking to the coach telling them what to do.

“They have to do so much on their own because of the 24-second shot clock. The high school game over here is controlled more by the coaches. It’s going to be interesting for me to now have the challenge of a 24-second shot clock.”

The Macedonia team will begin training camp later this week and will play a series of tune-up games before starting competition in the European Championships.

A 1995 Roosevelt graduate, Ellis played basketball at Temple Junior College and Texas State before starting his coaching career. Ellis was an assistant coach under Mike Wacker at Judson for four seasons and became Wagner’s first boys basketball head coach when the school opened in 2005. He coached the Thunderbirds for six varsity seasons before moving to Clemens in 2012.

An only child, Ellis was born to Army parents in Tacoma, Wash. He moved to San Antonio when he was in second grade.

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