Listed at 6' 5", 220 lb., Ellis was selected by the
Chicago White Sox in the
1990 Major League Baseball draft out of the
Northwestern State University of Louisiana. From –, he pitched at five different
minor league levels. Ellis began his pro baseball career in the minors with the
New York–Penn League's
Utica Blue Sox in 1991. Ellis spent the next season playing for both the
Gulf Coast League White Sox and the Single-A
South Bend White Sox of the Mid West League in . In , Ellis once again played for two different teams playing for the Single-A
Sarasota White Sox of the
Florida State League. And later for the Double-A
Birmingham Barons of the
Southern League. On July 27, 1996, Ellis was traded to the
California Angels for
Pat Borders. Ellis reached the majors in 1996 with the Angels, spending one year with them before moving to the
Arizona Diamondbacks (),
Los Angeles Dodgers () and
Texas Rangers (). His most productive season came in 2001 with Arizona, when he set career-highs in
wins (6),
strikeouts (41) and
innings pitched (92.0). In a four-season career, Ellis posted a 7–7 record with 54 strikeouts and a 6.03
ERA in 118.0 innings. After that, Ellis pitched in the
International League for the
Cleveland and
Philadelphia organizations. On February 4, , Ellis was named the
Gulf Coast Mets pitching coach. Beginning in late 2009, Ellis was the strength and conditioning and head baseball coach at
Henderson High School in Henderson, Texas. In August 2012, Ellis became Assistant Athletic Director and head baseball coach at
Central Heights High School in Nacogdoches, Texas. Following stints at
Bullard High School, where he served as head baseball coach from 2015 to 2022 and
Center Independent School District, where he served as athletic coordinator starting in 2023, Ellis became the head baseball coach at
Longview High School in 2025. ==Personal life==