A former UTSA and University of Texas track star, Matt Ellis is in his fourth season as a men’s assistant track and field coach.
In three seasons with the Roadrunners, Ellis has helped coach eight conference champions, eight NCAA regional qualifiers and five national qualifiers.
Last season, UTSA posted a runner-up finish at the Southland Conference Indoor Championships as David Burnett (400m) and Brandon Buteaux (heptathlon) won individual crowns. Outdoors, Curtis Johnson and T.R. Sissel advanced to the NCAA Championships, while Steven Brown and Cedric Harris earned Junior All-America honors at the USA Outdoor.
Ellis helped guide UTSA to a fourth-place finish at the 2004 SLC Outdoor behind three individual crowns from Curtis Johnson (100 meters), Carl Johnson (110m hurdles) and Larry Brooks (800m).
In 2003, Ellis helped tutor Curtis Johnson to the league indoor crown in the 200m and an appearance in the 200m semifinal round at the NCAA Outdoor in Sacramento, Calif. Johnson also posted the fastest 200m time on school record under any conditions, a 20.71 at the NCAA Midwest Regional.
Ellis came to the Roadrunners from Liberty Hill (Texas) High School, where he was an assistant in the Panthers’ track and field program.
A 1998 All-American at Texas, Ellis was the Longhorns’ team captain in 1999 when they swept Big 12 Indoor and Outdoor titles. Prior to his two seasons at the University of Texas, Ellis was a track standout for UTSA from 1995-1997.
As a freshman in 1996, Ellis ran the lead leg on the indoor 4x400-meter relay team that held the UTSA record time of 3:14.80 for 10 years. The following season, he helped lead the 4x4 relay team to the SLC Indoor title.
Ellis appears on three of UTSA’s top-five all-time outdoor lists ? fourth in the 400m with a time of 47.16 (1997), third in the 4x100m relay (second leg) with a time of 40.91 (1997), and second and third in the 4x400m relay (lead leg) with times of 3:08.18 and 3:08.20 (1996,’97).
Following the completion of his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology with a minor in business at Texas, Ellis served as a volunteer assistant coach for the Longhorns. He was also a member of the Austin Striders Track Club from 1996-2002