Chuck Ellis, head coach of the Racine Washington Park Panthers, has been selected as the Green Bay Packers High School Coach of the Week for Week 5, the Packers announced Friday.
Racine Washington Park is now 5-1 overall, with their last victory coming in a 14-7 victory over Kenosha Bradford/Reuther. The varsity team consists of 42 players - 160 counting freshmen, junior varsity, and varsity - with 6 assistant coaches. Ellis has taught physical education for 34 years.
Ellis has coached at Racine Washington Park since 1971. He began as an assistant coach in '71 and became head coach in 1997.
Ellis coached current Packer offensive lineman Kevin Barry, who was honored by the Associated Press as Wisconsin's high school 'Player of the Year' in 1997.
Ellis is originally from Natchez, Miss. He attended high school at Sadie V. Thompson in Natchez, playing football for Eugene Marshall. He also played basketball.
Ellis was captain of his Jackson State University squad. He played for current United States Secretary of Education, Roderick Paige.
He is married to Daisy and his children are LaToya, 29, and Cory, 24.
Ellis is living his dream as a high school coach, inspiration he received from his prep coach.
"This is the ideal job for me," Ellis said. "This is exactly what I wanted to do when I left high school, because I had a high school coach that had an influence on me and my life. If it wasn't for him I don't know where I would be right now. All I ever wanted to do was to work with kids."
Even with all of his coaching experience, Ellis is appreciative of the award and it is an added incentive to his already gratifying profession.
"Just to see the smiles on kids' faces and to know that they have been successful and helping them getting into colleges or with whatever they aspire to do is a big joy for me," Ellis said.
The Packers will recognize one outstanding high school coach as their Coach of the Week winner during the 2003 high school football season. As a Coach of the Week winner, Ellis and future recipients will be awarded several items and privileges, including a $1,000 donation to the school's football program from the Green Bay Packers and the NFL, as well as recognition of the award on www.NFLHS.com, the NFL's high school football website.
Nominations for Coach of the Week should be submitted by 9 a.m. every Monday to Cathy A. Dworak, Manager of Community Relations, at coachoftheweek@packers.com (e-mail) or by fax at (920) 490-5937. Please include the nominee's name, address, school, phone number, and reason he/she is deserving of the award.
