Thomas More athletic director Terry Connor has announced that head men�s basketball coach John Ellenwood has resigned to accept the position as head men�s basketball coach at Ashland.

Ashland is an NCAA Division II institution and competes in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

�This is one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make as the last three years at Thomas More have been an outstanding experience,� Ellenwood said.

�During the last three years, I have enjoyed doing what I love in a great environment surrounded by great people that make up Thomas More College and the Northern Kentucky area. I will always be grateful to president Sister Margaret Stallmeyer and athletic director Terry Connor for giving me the great opportunity to lead the Saints the past three seasons. I would also like to thank the Thomas More community for providing the resources and support to build the men�s basketball program into a PAC championship program."

Ellenwood, who inherited a 2-24 program, was 33-48 in three seasons leading the Thomas More men�s basketball team into a championship program in the Presidents� Athletic Conference. He was named the PAC Coach of the Year this past season as he guided the Saints to a 19-9 overall record and a 10-2 PAC mark and led the team to its first-ever PAC regular season and tournament titles and its first-ever appearance in the Division III NCAA Tournament. He had been an assistant at Capital and Ohio Wesleyan after graduation from Wooster, where he was a three-time All-NCAC first-team selection.

�We are sorry to see John leaving us, but we all know this is a great opportunity for John and his family," said Connor. �All of us at Thomas More wish John all the best as he goes to Ashland to build a program that Ashland will be proud of just like he did here at Thomas More.�

Thomas More will conduct a national search for its eighth head men�s basketball coach to replace Ellenwood.