By Chad Klassen

New Broncos coach Ellis believes young core ‘doesn’t know how good they are’

Jan 22, 2019 | 7:00 AM

KAMLOOPS — Rob Ellis thinks of the Kamloops Broncos as his second family. 

It was disappointing when he had to step away as the team’s head coach following the 2010 season, his second with the Broncos, due to health concerns. He remained involved from afar, but now he feels it’s the right time to come back on a full-time basis. 

“I’ve been part of it since I left, too, and helping out with the systems and the team’s recruiting,” said Ellis. “So I decided to come on back. I have the time on my hands right now because the kids have moved out of the house. My wife gave me the tentative green light, and I couldn’t think of a better family to join.”

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Ellis lives in Salmon Arm and is a principal at Armstrong Elementary, but he will commute daily to coach the junior football team when the bell rings to let the kids out.

Ellis says recruiting is his No. 1 priority with spring camp just three months away. 

“We’re a bit behind from the other teams that started earlier than us. But we have a lot of interest right now. People are contacting us on a daily basis and there seems to be some excitement around the program,” he noted. 

Excitement. It’s not the first word that comes to mind after an 0-10 season, the Broncos’ first winless season in the B.C. Football Conference. But Ellis is genuinely excited about the returning core that is young but promising. 

“Last year, we were really young. [But] a lot of the other coaches on the other teams said to me that they believe this team doesn’t know how good they are,” said Ellis. “We have very few people leaving the program as far as aging out, so we have a good core returning.”

The challenge now for Ellis is making the players believe they are in fact that good. 

“It’s just building that mentality in them that they can beat anybody on any given Sunday,” he said. “And being competitive at the end of the season last year, they almost beat Langley [which finished 7-3 and defeated Kamloops 26-22 in the final week], so that’s huge. I think getting them to understand that mentality that they can beat anybody. We’ll wait and see what happens, but I think there’s excitement already.”