“I have known Cliff Ellis as a friend and colleague for nearly five decades. We were two of the youngest coaches in college basketball in the late 1970s. In the 1980s, we became good friends when Cliff coached at Clemson and I came to Duke. We were both proud members of the Atlantic Coast Conference coaching fraternity.

Each year, the ACC held Spring meetings at Myrtle Beach. During that time, my wife Mickie and I became great friends with Cliff and his wife Carolyn. It is a friendship that remains very special to us. Together, we had so much fun with all the coaches and their wives at those annual meetings. There, we discovered that Cliff was not only a terrific coach but that he could also really sing and dance! Cliff was quite the entertainer! At the time, I did not realize he possessed another talent we had not yet seen. He was a writer. In reading Life’s A Dance – Understand the Steps, I became aware of yet another creative side to this extremely talented man.

This book is a testament to the intertwining rhythms of sports and music, two passions that helped define Cliff’s extraordinary journey as a celebrated figure in college basketball. As one of the NCAA’s winningest men’s basketball coaches and a former Rock’n’Roll star, Cliff blended the discipline of being a high-level basketball coach with a soulful expression of music, creating a unique narrative that both inspires and educates.

Of course, our paths crossed numerous times on the court. Each encounter deepened my respect for his coaching strategies and commitment to his players. His ability to see beyond the game—to understand that every dribble, pass, and play is part of a larger, intricate dance—is what sets him apart. In this book, Cliff shares the wisdom gained from years of experience, offering his readers a glimpse into the mind of a terrific leader.

This book is more than just a manual for aspiring coaches or athletes. It is a heartfelt reflection on a one-of-a-kind life, filled with anecdotes that tell a remarkable story. Through the lens of his dual careers, Cliff teaches us that the key to mastering life’s dance is understanding the steps, embracing the rhythm, and, most importantly, never losing sight of the joy that comes from both the victories and the lessons learned along the way.”

-Coach K