Julian Bumbrey was an assistant coach on the James Monroe High School basketball team when Chuck Ellis was a senior.
The pair later reunited when Ellis served as Bumbrey’s assistant coach on the Yellow Jackets’ junior varsity squad in the mid 1990s.
After 30 years apart, Ellis and Bumbrey are coaching together again. Ellis is JM’s head varsity coach, and Bumbrey departed his position as the team’s broadcaster to join his former pupil on the sidelines.
“It’s a full-circle moment,” Bumbrey said … “One thing about Chuck, he always said, ‘JB, if I’m coaching, I’ll always have a spot open for you. When that time came, I was ready.”
Ellis and Bumbrey are two JM graduates who will participate in the basketball program’s alumni night on Friday.
Julian Bumbrey (left) and Chuck Ellis last coached together 30 years ago before reuniting this year. (Photo courtesy of Julian Bumbrey)
The lineup features three boys basketball games. Walker-Grant Middle School will take the court at 4:30 p.m., followed by JM’s junior varsity team and culminating with the varsity squad. All three teams will face off against rival King George.
The school will also recognize alumni from the 1963, ‘69 and ‘72 state championship teams, and there will be a special presentation during halftime of the varsity contest.
Bumbrey said the goal of the rare triple-header is to “bring that excitement back to the area.”
“No doubt about it, we’re excited,” Bumbrey said. “Who’s really going to be excited is the middle school team. They get to play on the big court … We’re hoping to have a good, festive night and hopefully we can get a win all the way around.”
James Monroe Athletic Director Kenton Griffin said the coaching staff brought the idea to him, and the schedule lined up to have all three games the same night. Griffin said he liked the proposal so much he hopes to implement it for the girls program in the future.
“We have a lot of proud members of the community that wore the black and orange, and I thought it would be cool to have a night dedicated to them,” Griffin said.
JM’s varsity team has won two straight games after starting the season with four defeats. Bumbrey, who last coached JM’s boys in 2016, served as the head coach this season for the first three games.
“It’s been real fun because Julian was my coach, and I still look to him a lot for wisdom because he’s got a wealth of it,” Ellis said. “So, it’s always good to just kind of bounce things off him and to vibe together with different styles of coaching and philosophies. It’s just been kind of a perfect reunion.”
Alumni Night will provide another sort of reunion for the Yellow Jackets. Bumbrey said he’s looking forward to seeing the surviving members of the championship teams, including Tommy Thompson (1963), Tim Catlett (1969), and Bill Sayles (1972), who all plan to be in attendance. Bumbrey and Ellis said they’re hopeful the history of the program will inspire the younger generation.
“It’s a family thing and a community thing,” Bumbrey said. “That’s what we’re excited about.”
