Clyde Ellis makes “The Oklahoman Mount Rushmore” greatest coaches dynasty in Oklahoma high school girl’s sports.
Earlier this summer, we started rolling out our Mount Rushmores in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Title IX. This series has been part of our look at the impact made by the federal legislation requiring equal opportunities in sports for girls and women.
Girls sports in Oklahoma high schools began more than five decades before Title IX — we have been crowning state champions in girls basketball since 1919, for crying out loud! — and the entirety of it encompasses so many eras and so many sports.
How are we supposed to determine the four people who had the biggest impact on where girl’s sports in Oklahoma high schools are today?
One of the four on our Mount Rushmore represents the greatest dynasty in Oklahoma high school girl’s sports.
The John Marshall girls track team won 14 consecutive state titles from 1976-89, a streak that is unmatched by any other girls program in any other sport in Oklahoma history. And after falling short in 1990, John Marshall came back and won three more titles in a row from 1991-93. That’s 17 in 18 years.
The head coach for all those titles: Clyde Ellis. He worked his athletes hard, and they responded to his disciplined ways. He got the most out of his runners, jumpers and throwers, and when it was time to compete, all of them soared. Ellis and his teams is a reminder of what strong, powerful girls can do.
Story from the Jenni Carlson - Daily Oklahoman