Exclusive: Monta Ellis returns home with a clear vision for Alcorn State basketball

It's been over 10 years since Monta Ellis last played for the Dallas Mavericks, but he remains a popular former player in Dallas due to the clutch shotmaking, electric scoring, and exciting playstyle that he provided while playing for Dallas.

Mavs fans will never forget the scoring punch he provided alongside Dirk Nowitzki for two seasons, and now Ellis has moved on to his newest venture in the basketball world: becoming the general manager for the Alcorn State University men's basketball team.

Monta Ellis' life after the NBA

He has been involved with youth basketball after his time in the NBA ended in 2017. He founded Ellis Elite, an AAU team in Dallas, and his next step is helping the Alcorn State Bravehawks. Ellis opened up about his vision for Alcorn State and his desire to give back to the state that molded him in an exclusive interview with The Smoking Cuban, and the former Mavericks guard is excited for this next step in his journey.

Since retiring from the NBA, Ellis has poured into his passion for coaching and helping kids pursue their basketball dreams. He opened Ellis Elite Basketball Academy in Coppell, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, in 2024. This is a facility that hosts camps for young basketball players, and Ellis felt that working for Alcorn State was a great next step for him.

He's already been working in youth basketball for years. Now he has the chance to help young men on and off the court as they transition from playing in high school to college. His NBA career, combined with his background of growing up in Mississippi, makes him a natural fit to work with these players, and his name alone will provide Alcorn State with some recognition.

Why Ellis decided to head to Alcorn State

"It's another step to what I've been doing already, as far as developing kids," Ellis told The Smoking Cuban. "So this year is going into the young adult area. I think the time is right. It's the perfect time to give back to the state that molded me into the person I am today. I love giving back to the kids. I love being involved with the kids. So it was an opportunity that came together for me, and I thought it was the right thing for me to do, the right opportunity, and the right time."

As Ellis hinted at, Mississippi is very important to him. He was nicknamed "The Mississippi Missile" for his speed and home state, and more than four decades after being born in Mississippi, he's returning. He grew up in Jackson, just 75 miles northeast of where Alcorn State's main campus is in Lorman.

Ellis' goals for the Bravehawks

"I plan on carrying this title and this brand and building it into something that's great and re-igniting the fire that's always been a tradition of Alcorn," Ellis said.

Alcorn State is one of the most historically dominant HBCU men's basketball programs, and Ellis hopes to do his part in building on the deep history and tradition, while also helping them build a culture of winning basketball.

"It's to come in to help build a winning culture," Ellis said when asked about his new role at Alcorn State. "That's going to be helping with bringing in recruits. I think me, being who I am and being where I'm from, I can have a big impact on keeping a lot of kids in-state at home. So the main thing for me is to build a winning culture on the basketball side, and we all know that when winning is happening, everything comes together."

The Bravehawks haven't had a winning season since 2022-23, but Ellis will look to help change that in his first year as GM.

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