Cody Ellis joined the Spartans in October 2022 as assistant coach, leading the charge in recruiting and as the outfield coach before being promoted as interim head coach in January 2024. Ellis was announced head coach in May 2024.
This is Ellis' second head coaching stint since his first opportunity coaching in 2019. He debuted as a head coach at Patrick Henry Community College (PHCC) in Martinsville, Virginia, leading the program from 2019-22 while also serving as the assistant athletic director of the department.
Ellis will be the fourth coach to lead the baseball program in its 33-year history.
While interim head coach, Ellis was voted the 2024 Southern Conference (SoCon) Coach of the Year as well as 2024 SoCon Sports Media Association (SCSMA) Coach of the Year. After being voted to finish sixth in the SoCon Preseason Poll, Ellis led the Spartans to a 33-21 record and 15-6 conference record for the program's third SoCon Regular Season Title. Ellis also guided the Spartans to two ranked wins this season, including the program's second victory over a No. 1 team defeating Wake Forest, 4-3, on Feb. 20 at the UNCG Baseball Stadium. UNCG also crushed then-ranked No. 13 NC State, 18-3, on March 12 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Ellis coached
Caleb Cozart, who was recognized as UNCG's third SoCon Player of the Year this year. Cozart broke UNCG's single-season home run record with 22, a tied for first in single-season RBI with 73, and is second in program history in slugging percentage with a .742 clip.
Following the 2024 SoCon Tournament, UNCG led the SoCon in ERA (5.27), fewest runs allowed (312) and lowest opponent batting average (.266). UNCG ranked nationally at 15th in triples (20), 20th in stolen bases (105) and 23rd in stolen bases per game (1.94). The Blue & Gold averaged 7.90 runs per game and 3.25 extra-base hits per game, while four Spartans had 20 or more throughout the season. The Spartans won eight of their last 11 regular season contests and 10 of their final 12 conference games.
Ellis joined the Spartans after three years at PHCC, starting in August of 2019. Over his three years, he compiled a 92-48 record. He led the 2021 team to a third-place finish in the NJCAA World Series. The 2020 team led the NJCAA in stolen bases with 119 during a shortened season and did so again in 2021 with 271. They also finished fourth in the country with a .962 fielding percentage in 2021.
He joined PHCC after serving as a graduate assistant for the baseball team at the University of Lynchburg, coaching the hitters and outfielders as well as recruiting talent. Ellis was also an assistant coach for the Keene Swampbats of the New England Collegiate Baseball League during the summer of 2017.
Along with his knowledge of college baseball, Ellis brings in experience from working as a manager for Team USA in July 2021. He was responsible for managing and building relationships with the top prospects in the country through the Player Development Pipeline (PDP) league. Along with this, he would also assist in identifying and selecting players for the 2021 18U National Team. He was part of the USA Task Force scouting and evaluating talent across the country. Ellis has since continued to be part of USA Baseball since 2019 through his time as a manager in the PDP and assistant coach in PDP National Training Development Program (NTDP). As a manager for USA Baseball in the PDP League, he coached No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, Jackson Holliday.
Ellis began his coaching career as an assistant coach at PHCC in 2016.
Ellis played baseball for PHCC and was an All-Region outfielder in 2011. He then moved on to play Division I baseball for Norfolk State University where he was named second-team All-MEAC at second base. At Norfolk State, he led the team in 2014 with a .349 hitting percentage. He also played for the Professional Independent Pecos League with the Topeka Train Robbers and the Garden City Wind where he was a 2015 All-Star at first base.
Ellis received his associate's degree in Recreational and Leisure Studies from Patrick Henry Community College in 2012, a Bachelor's of Science degree in Exercise Health and Physical Education from Norfolk State University in 2015 and a Master's degree in Educational Leadership in Higher Education from the University of Lynchburg in 2019.
A native of North Carolina, Ellis is married to his wife, Crystal, and they have one daughter, Wren.
