A state basketball coaching great and recent inductee to the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame has died. Russell Ellington passed away Saturday in Savannah at the age of 69.
Ellington compiled 894 coaching victories in time with Savannah State, Savannah Tech, and Morris Brown in over 30 years on the sidelines. He led his alma mater, Beach High School in Savannah, to the state championship in the 1966-67 season. That represented the first season the state playoffs were racially integrated in Georgia. Just last season, Ellington came out of retirement to coach Beach once more.
His national spotlight came from coaching the famous Harlem Globetrotters for nine years. The team’s theme song, "Sweet Georgia Brown" played when Ellington took the podium this May during his Hall of Fame induction.
Beach High will hold a memorial service Wednesday evening. Ellington’s funeral is planned for noon Thursday in Savannah
Ellington compiled 894 coaching victories in time with Savannah State, Savannah Tech, and Morris Brown in over 30 years on the sidelines. He led his alma mater, Beach High School in Savannah, to the state championship in the 1966-67 season. That represented the first season the state playoffs were racially integrated in Georgia. Just last season, Ellington came out of retirement to coach Beach once more.
His national spotlight came from coaching the famous Harlem Globetrotters for nine years. The team’s theme song, "Sweet Georgia Brown" played when Ellington took the podium this May during his Hall of Fame induction.
Beach High will hold a memorial service Wednesday evening. Ellington’s funeral is planned for noon Thursday in Savannah
