FIELD & COURT
Harold Ellis ’92 Joins New York Knicks Front Office Morehouse College’s biggest basketball star has joined the front office of one of the most storied franchises in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Harold Ellis ’92, Morehouse’s leading career scorer who went on to play in the NBA, has been named director of player personnel for the New York Knicks, team officials announced on Aug. 8. “We are adding a host of highly-regarded and respected basketball people to work with the Knicks to fortify the franchise for years to come,” said Knicks General Manager Scott Perry. This isn’t Ellis’ first front office NBA job. He spent the past five years as director of pro scouting for the Orlando Magic, and before that worked as a scout and assistant coach with the Detroit Pistons. Ellis also served as a scout and minor league coordinator with the Atlanta Hawks. A member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Hall of Fame, Ellis led Morehouse in scoring during each of his four seasons as a Maroon Tiger from 1988-1992. The team was 90-30 during his career and made the NCAA Division II Final Four in 1990. Ellis’ number, 30, has been retired at Morehouse. Ellis played three years in the NBA for the Los Angeles Clippers and the Denver Nuggets. He also played in the Continental Basketball League, the United States Basketball League, and in Greece. He has also been a successful minor league head coach, winning back-to-back titles in the now-defunct World Basketball League in 2005-2006 where he was named Coach of the Year each season. M
Morehouse Rugby Players Scrum Their Way to Popularity By D. AILEEN DODD
Interest in the Morehouse College Rugby Club is growing as athletes and national supporters rally to help the winning team become more competitive. Launched in 2012, the club now has 50 members ranging from freshmen to alumni, who continue to play with the team. The National Small College Rugby Organization donated sports equipment to the club, maroon-and-white players are now competing in the Atlantic Conference, and coaching the team are Wanita “Scorpio” McCoy (who plays for the semi-pro Atlanta Harlequins) and men’s rugby club veteran Shawn Elms. “We started getting more buzz as a team in 2014 because we had a reputation for being very tough competitors,” said Jeff Bonilla ’17, who earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Morehouse. “We were winning a lot.” Those impressive wins have come against teams such as Emory University, Georgia Tech, and the University of North Georgia, as well as men’s rugby clubs across Metro Atlanta.
Bonilla attributed some of the sport’s growing popularity to its long history, gritty, physical challenges, and distinction as a gentleman’s sport. “You can be playing against someone who works for a Fortune 500 company and not even know it until after you shake his hand when the game ends,” he said, adding that there is also a networking aspect to rugby that football lacks. “After every rugby game against a men’s club, we have socials with the other team,” he explained. “You meet the guy you just stiff-armed not too long ago and play pool or darts and mingle. You meet people who are established that can help you in your career.” Bonilla’s rugby connections, for example, landed him an interview for a finance job after graduation. He got the opportunity after rugby players with 21st Century Financial came to Morehouse College to lead a personal finance seminar. Today, Bonelli and other players are hoping that the popular sport will become part of the regular athletic program at Morehouse College. M
special anniversary issue • morehouse magazine
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