Russell Ellington Russell Ellington ( February 4 , 1938 – September 1 , 2007 ) was an American basketball coach . He compiled nearly 900 wins ( a record of 894 - 212 ) in his lifetime at the college level coaching Savannah State College , Savannah Tech and Morris Brown College . He also coached the world famous Harlem Globetrotters for nine years . His titles as a coach include : Four state high school basketball championships ; three Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles ; two Region XVII Junior College championships and one NJCCA District 10 championship . Biography . Early life . Ellington grew up in Wadley , Georgia . He began working in cotton fields at age 5 to help his family , which included eight brothers and sisters . He left home for good by the age of 12 , hitching a ride on a freight train to Savannah , Georgia where his sister lived . Education . Russell graduated from Beach High School in Savannah , Georgia in 1956 . He was an academic All - American in football and in basketball at Morris Brown College in Atlanta , Georgia graduating with a bachelor ' s degree in biology , with a minor in chemistry , in 1960 . He did further studies at University of Georgia and Georgia Southern University . Playing career . Basketball . Ellington was a standout player for Beach High School and Morris Brown college . Professional football . Ellington played professional football for the New York Giants for two years before his career was interrupted because of injuries . Coaching career . Beach High School ( 1962 - 1976 ) . Ellington was the Beach High School , boys ' basketball coach for 15 years , winning 482 of 529 games he coached ( 91 % ) . His teams won five state championships including the Georgia High School Association Class AAA State Championships during the first season following integration of the Georgia High School Association , 1966 – 67 , the first season black players were allowed to compete . That 1967 team earned the " Sports Illustrated " magazine national championship . Savannah State College ( 1976 - 1984 ) . As Savannah State College ’ s men ' s head basketball coach Ellington compiled a 148 - 91 record ( . 619 winning percentage ) . During that time he also was the school ’ s athletics director and a mathematics teacher , overseeing the school ’ s transition from NCAA Division III to Division II in 1981 . He currently holds the record for most wins by a men ' s basketball coach in Savannah State ' s history , producing winning records in the final eight of his nine seasons and winning three Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season and tournament title during his tenure . Harlem Globetrotters ( 1984 - 1993 ) . Ellington toured with the Globetrotters as head coach from 1984 – 93 , traveling to 122 countries with the team . Savannah Tech ( 1993 - 1997 ) . Ellington returned to Savannah in 1993 to serve as the first men ' s head basketball coach and athletics director at Savannah Technical School ( College ) . The team eventually made an appearance in the National Junior College playoffs in Kansas City , Missouri . Morris Brown College ( 1997 - 2001 ) . Ellington returned as the men ' s head basketball coach and athletic director at his alma mater , Morris Brown College , in 1997 . Beach High School ( 2005 - 2007 ) . Ellington returned to coaching in 2005 taking the Bulldogs to the Georgia state quarter - finals with a 28 - 3 record Honors and awards . He is a member of the Morris Brown College Hall of Fame ( 1978 ) . In 1980 , he was inducted into the Greater Savannah Athletic Hall of Fame . He also is a member of the Beach High School Hall of Fame ( 1987 ) and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Hall of Fame ( 1997 ) . Ellington was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame on May 19 , 2007 . Quotes . " " There are three parts of faith : One is knowledge , another is belief in yourself and the third is to just put it into action . " " Personal life . Ellington was married to Betty W . Ellington for thirty years ; they had six children . He was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity , the Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum Board of Directors , the Board of Directors for the West Broad Street YMCA ( Savannah , Georgia ) , the Georgia High School Sports Association , and the South Eastern Quarter Back Club . Ellington died on September 1 , 2007 from lung cancer complications at St . Joseph ' s Hospital in Savannah , aged 69 .