STONY BROOK, N.Y. — Mark Ellis appeared in 35 games while a midfielder with the Stony Brook men's lacrosse team. He is now back at his alma mater, eager to prepare a new generation of Seawolves for competitions.

Ellis joined Stony Brook on Monday as an assistant athletic performance coach.

With two seasons of eligibility remaining after his graduation from Stony Brook with a bachelor's degree in multidisciplinary studies in 2017, Ellis completed his collegiate playing career at Hofstra.

During two seasons with the Pride, he emerged as a team captain and CAA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll recipient while appearing in another 28 games. He earned a master's degree in sports science from Hofstra in 2019.

Ellis believes his recent experience as a student-athlete will help him serve their best interests in his new role.

"I know what it feels like to be in their shoes, know what it's like to be a transfer, to tear an ACL, to win and to lose, and to go through school and have all that pressure and be successful and learn from your mistakes," he said. "I'm happy to be a Seawolf. I got back to campus today, and it's breathtaking to see how everything has grown. It's great that it comes full circle. I always say everything happens for a reason."

Ellis originally hails from Hempstead. He attended Garden City High School.

"We are excited to welcome Mark to our athletic performance staff this fall," said George Greene, associate athletic director of high performance and competitive success. "Mark's combination of knowledge, positive energy and experience as an athlete make him a great fit for our department."