Betts: Former Terrier Ellis takes reins of William & Mary Tribe pitching staff
Former Terriers left-hander Campbell Ellis (Georgetown, Ont.), shown here with Virginia Commonwealth University, is the new pitching coach at the College of William & Mary. Photo: VCU Athletics
August 10, 2026
By Matt Betts
Canadian Baseball Network
It was his sophomore season at Virginia Commonwealth University when former Terriers left-handed pitcher Campbell Ellis began thinking about his long-term future in baseball.
A chance to play professionally would’ve been a dream come true, but there was something about the ability to impact others on their journeys through the game as a coach that seemed equally as fulfilling.
"My passion for baseball has always been strong, but I fell in love with leadership and wanted to learn as much as possible,” Ellis said of his time as a player. “I was fortunate enough to be around some brilliant baseball minds and paid attention to how they led.”
Now, he’ll get the opportunity to lead a staff of his own as the new pitching coach at the College of William & Mary. The team made the hiring official on Aug. 3.
Ellis wasted no time pursuing his new path in the dugout after helping VCU win three Atlantic 10 Conference championships as a player during a career that spanned from 2021 to 2024.
In 2025, he joined the Rams staff as a graduate assistant coach before being named the program’s director of pitching development last season.
With his help, the Rams led the Atlantic 10 with a 4.57 team ERA, 8.13 hits per nine innings and 1.42 WHIP in 2026 on the way to winning another conference title and participating in the Chapel Hill Regional.
When Ellis (Georgetown, Ont.) was first recruited to play for the Rams, it was pitching coach Mike McRae (Niagara Falls, Ont.) who was part of the pitch. Six years later, it was another familiar face, Rob McCoy, swaying him down Interstate 64 East to Williamsburg, Va., to become the new pitching coach at William & Mary.
Recruiting Canadians isn’t foreign to McCoy, as he’s signed countless Canucks over the years during his time at Niagara University and now with the Tribe.
“I’ve known coach McCoy since I was in high school and he was the head coach at Niagara,” Ellis said. “I’ve always looked at him as a great person, leader and coach, so when I saw this opportunity open it was a no-brainer that I wanted to work with him.”
Ellis also cites Jojo Howie, Sean Thompson and Seth Voltz at VCU as having an instrumental impact on his playing career and pursuit of becoming a coach.
With players arriving on campus and school beginning later this month, Ellis is busy preparing for his first season at the head of a staff.
“I want to be the type of coach that cares deeply about my players, and a coach who will do everything in my power to help them succeed on and off the field,” he said. “I'm excited to work with phenomenal people and immediately make an impact in each of our player's careers and lives. I want to help guide these young men to be the best versions of themselves.”