Ellis named head basketball coach

Cliff Ellis

Cliff Ellis was hired to lead Coastal's men's basketball program as head coach on July 2.

At the signing ceremony, Ellis indicated his commitment to the program, to the university and to the community. "My vision is to take this program to the top," he said. "I want to make a difference in young people's lives. I want them to be the best that they can be."

The 61-year-old Ellis has been a successful coach throughout his career, amassing a career record of 612-349 (.637) as a head coach, ranking him as the 12th winningest active Division I coach by victories.

Most recently, Ellis has worked as a television broadcast analyst, covering national and regional games. Prior to that, he spent 10 years (1994-2004) as the head coach at Auburn, posting a 186-125 (.598) record. He was the 1999 Southeastern Conference and National Coach of the Year.

Ellis coached at Clemson from 1984 to 1994. He led the Tigers to the 1990 Atlantic Coast Conference title, the only one in the school's history.

Ellis started his Division I head coaching career at South Alabama in 1975, developing the program into a nationally recognized team in his nine years. He began his collegiate head coaching career at Cumberland University, where he also served as athletic director from 1973-1975.

Ellis earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from Florida State in 1968 and a master's degree, also in physical education, from Middle Tennessee State in 1972.

Ellis succeeds Buzz Peterson, who took a position with the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats after two years at Coastal.

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Thigpen, Teal and Burgess drafted by NFL

Tyler Thigpen

Quinton Teal

Rodney Burgess

Tyler Thigpen, the Chanticleer quarterback who graduated in May 2007, became the first Big South Conference player drafted by the top professional league after being picked by the Vikings with the seventh pick in the seventh round (selection 217 overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft on April 29. Quinton Teal joined the Carolina Panthers on May 1. Rodney Burgess was drafted by the Detroit Lions on May 3, but he was released on May 14.

Thigpen, who was also the Big South Conference Offensive Player of the Year and finished seventh in the balloting for the Walter Payton Award, ranked second in the Football Championship Subdivision with 329.3 ypg of total offense and fourth nationally with 274.7 passing yards per game. He led Coastal to its third consecutive Big South title and first-ever berth in the NCAA Division I Football Championships. He also ranks second all-time in the Big South in total offense with 8,236 yards, and he helped CCU to a 34-11record during his four years with the Chanticleers.

Teal is a two-time First Team All-Big South selection and he was also named to the Associated Press All-America Second Team. He is the Big South Conference's all-time interception leader with 17 and leads the conference in single-season picks, which ranks him 48th in the nation. He led the league with 13 passes defended and had 81 tackles.

A four-year letter winner for the Chanticleers, Burgess helped CCU to three consecutive Big South Conference titles and the program's first-ever berth in the NCAA Division I Playoffs in just its fourth year of play. He currently ranks on Coastal's career top-10 list in receptions (3rd, 52), receiving yards (4th, 701), touchdowns (t-4th, 3) and yards per catch (7th, 13.48).

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CCU takes Sasser Cup for fourth consecutive year

Linda Vereen, NCAA faculty athletics representative, and CCU President David DeCenzo

Coastal Carolina University was awarded the Big South Conference's George F. "Buddy" Sasser Cup Trophy in June 2007 for the 2006-2007 athletic season, its fourth consecutive title. The award is the school's ninth award and fifth in the past seven years.

The Chanticleers won Big South championships in football, women's indoor track, men's golf, women's tennis (tournament) and baseball (regular-season and tournament) and finished runner-up in five conference championships as well.

Winthrop finished second in the Sasser Cup and Liberty was third, followed by High Point, Radford, UNC Asheville, Birmingham-Southern, Charleston Southern and VMI.

Coastal Carolina won its fourth consecutive Women's All-Sports Trophy, finish- ing with an average of 10.61 points and 98.5 overall points. Liberty was second with an average of 10.38 (83 points), followed by Winthrop at 9.94 (89.5 points).

The Sasser Cup Trophy, named for former Big South Commissioner Buddy Sasser, is awarded to the Big South member institution with the most successful year, athletically based on an average points system. Overall points are awarded based on regular-season and tournament finishes.

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Seven baseball players selected in 2007 MLB draft

John Mariotti

Coastal Carolina had seven players selected in the 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, setting a record for the most Coastal players selected in a draft. (The Chanticleers had six players selected in 1983 and 2005.) Coastal had two players selected in the 18th and 32nd rounds by Baltimore and San Francisco, respectively. Coastal had three redshirt sophomores and four seniors selected. Since 1985, Coastal has had 36 players selected in the draft. The seven selections also set a Big South record. Four of the Chants selected were pitchers.

2007 Coastal Carolina Draft Selections:

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Men's Golf finishes fifth at NCAA Championship

Dustin Johnson

The Coastal Carolina men's golf team posted the best team finish in any sport in the history of the Big South Conference, finishing fifth at the 2007 NCAA Men's Golf Championship, May 30-June 2. The 72-hole event was played at the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club (Par 70 - 6803 yards) in Williamsburg, Va.

Entering the final round in second place, Coastal was unable to put the final round together and slipped into fifth after a 298 gave the Chanticleers a four-round total of 1128. This was the first time a team from the Big South Conference had qualified for the final round of the NCAA Championship, with CCU having been in the event the previous two years. Third-round leader Stanford took home the team honors with 1109, 12 shots better than runner up Georgia. Lamar and Charlotte tied for third at 1125.

Senior All-American Dustin Johnson, who earned his third All-American honors this season and second straight First Team honor, posted a top-10 finish in his final collegiate tournament, tying for ninth at two-under 278. Junior Lindsay Renolds was next for CCU in a tie for 15th at one-under 279. Jamie Lovemark, playing as an individual for the final round, took home medalist honors at nine-under 271.

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