CENTER, Texas — After three years at the helm of the Bullard Panther baseball team, head coach Robert Ellis is making a change. Ellis has taken the job at Center ISD as their new head baseball coach and director of athlete development, an opportunity he says he's excited for.
Ellis took the Panthers to the playoffs in all three of his years at the helm, reaching success with a talented group of guys. Now, he'll have the opportunity to continue his success while also expanding his role.
"I'll also now be director of athlete development, meaning I'll be impacting the boys and the girls within their workout programs and athletic development. I'm excited about that," Ellis said.
As an MLB player, Ellis won the 2001 World Series with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He brings years of experience with him to Center both as a professional player and a coach, making his knowledge and love of the game incredibly valuable for his new team.
"The biggest thing is having fun. They have to enjoy what they're doing. It's no different than us going to work," Ellis said. "You have to enjoy what you do, so I try and create that environment where kids are looking forward to waking up, coming in and training to be great for your sport."
Even though he's moving on, Ellis still looks back at his multiple years in Bullard with fond memories. His level of success leaves a high standard for the next set of coaches and athletes to continue the trend. However, he's not completely closing the door on a return to Bullard in some capacity in the future.
"I absolutely loved my time there. I had a great coaching staff working together, with great families. For me, it was a really tough move, but professionally with the way I wanted to go in my career, coming to Center was great," Ellis said. "I really enjoyed my time at Bullard and I really look forward to potentially coming back at some point."