Former MV coach to guide Sahuarita

Former Mountain View volleyball and girls soccer coach Rick Ellis has returned to coaching. Ellis announced on Wednesday that he had agreed to become the new boys basketball coach at Sahuarita.



Ellis did not coach this season, in part, to spend more time with family and recharge his batteries. He helped re-build the Mountain View volleyball and girls soccer programs, in part by surrounding himself with very good assistants.



“I am an old basketball coach, I did not know all that much about soccer and volleyball when I first started,” Ellis said last year. “I feel I am good at running practices and motivating. I found great people who really knew the sports and learned all I could from them.”



Two of those assistants succeeded Ellis, while a third also remained to help the transition. Lindsay Baeder replaced Ellis when he left the girls volleyball team after the 2010 season and Matt Dyck is in his first season as boys volleyball coach after Ellis stepped down after last season. Assistant coach Amy Garelick remained on staff of the girls soccer staff this year.



Ellis had good success with all three programs. Both volleyball teams were frequent post season participants, while the girls soccer program went to three state semi-finals in four years. Ellis also helped run two successful volleyball tournaments at the high school.



Ellis had been considering a return to the hardwood for some time but loved the teams he was coaching. When this opportunity presented itself he took it. Ellis will take over a Mustangs team that went 4-20 last season.





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