Coach Ellison era begins for Redondo Union football
by Garth Meyer
Keith Ellison, an Inglewood kid whose mother worked as a supervisor for the Redondo Beach Post Office, and who starred in football at RUHS, played at Oregon State, and in the NFL, is back as head coach of the Sea Hawks.
Ellison was Redondo Union High’s defensive coordinator from 2012 to 2020 under Coach Matt Ballard. For his own staff, he has gathered eight former Redondo Union players, including older brother Chris, who handles defensive backs. Just two coaches are carried over from last year.
“It really mattered to me to bring in coaches with an ownership, a love and affection for this place,” Ellison said.
The season began with a 33-0 shutout against Long Beach Wilson last Friday.
Ellison, 37, taught at Adams Middle School for the past eight years. For most of that time, he led seventh grade world history. His favorite subjects were the Roman Empire and kingdoms in Mali and Ghana from 800-1200 A.D. He continues to teach P.E. at Adams, but has given up the classroom this year to allow more time for coaching.
“I’ve taken from a lot of different coaches I’ve played for. I’m still trying to find my way in terms of leadership,” he said. “It’s ever-evolving, seeing what I am as a head coach.”
Ellison leads 133 kids in the Redondo Union program. A few changes have come with being a head coach.
“The most surprising thing is the amount of emails I get (per) day,” Ellison said.
He arrived at RUHS in 1998, as a freshman transfer student from out of the district. He knew no one at the school until his first football practice.
Ellison would play only one full varsity season — his senior year. He missed his sophomore year with a torn ACL, and six games as a junior with a broken collarbone.
He played both offense and defense, as safety and receiver, before taking over at quarterback his senior year.
Ellison always saw himself as a defensive back, but was too slow for it in college. Oregon State recruited him from El Camino College to play outside linebacker. He majored in history at Corvallis.
Coach Ellison in action as his team opens the season with a 33-0 victory over Long Beach Wilson last Friday, Aug. 26. Photo by Geoff Maleman
What was the best team Ellison played for in his time at RUHS?
“The basketball team,” he said, which won two CIF championships. He started at point guard for three years (missing his sophomore year because of the torn ACL).
At Oregon State, Ellison names his favorite game as a loss at LSU in overtime (2004).
He played at 235 pounds in the NFL. At RUHS as a senior, he was 185.
For the head coach, his new job comes with a certain irony.
“I never wanted to be a coach,” said Ellison.
After five years playing with the Buffalo Bills, he got a call from his younger brother, the late Kevin Ellison, asking him to help coach at Cathedral High School (next to Dodger Stadium). Kevin was the defensive coordinator. Keith agreed to two days per week, handling linebackers.
His mind started to change.
“I thought about it (as) the more people I can actually help to become better young adults,” Ellison said. “I kind of stuck with it.”
Kevin, another RUHS star, played at USC and for the San Diego Chargers. He died in 2018 while walking along Interstate 5 in the San Fernando Valley.
“I think about him a lot. I wish he was still here,” Keith said. “He would be coaching on this staff right now. He’s with me all the time.”
Keith grew up a fan of the early’90s 49ers, especially the 1995 Super Bowl-winning team; Jerry Rice is his favorite player of all-time.
As a teacher of history, what other NFL era would he have liked to play in?
“I would say now. Because they make a lot more money,” Ellison said.
Fall camp began at Redondo Aug. 4. The team was 2-8 last year. The Sea Hawks’ 2022 home debut is Friday against Torrance at 7 p.m.
Ellison reports that his first game as a head coach was pretty familiar.
“Honestly, it felt like every other game,” he said. “Once the game starts, everything else ceases to exist.”
The result on the scoreboard stood out a little more.
“It was very encouraging. I was really pleased, we played well from the start,” said Ellison. “I really like the talent we have. It was a good first week.” ER