Richard Elliott

Richard Elliott joined Stanford as the assistant coach in January 2011. He has been involved with Stanford squash on a part-time basis since 2000 when it was a student-run program. He has played a significant role in developing the Stanford squash program for more than 10 years.

In addition to coaching players on the Stanford intercollegiate teams, Elliott is involved in developing junior players and members of the Stanford Squash Club. To promote the sport locally he organizes regular tournaments for players at all levels including an annual tournament for international professional players.

Born in England, Elliott started playing squash at age 13 and played his first junior tournament at age 14. He was soon consumed with the sport and it has remained his lifelong passion. Prior to squash, he played badminton and tennis but at age 16 he decided to pursue professional squash.

Elliott took his first fulltime resident teaching professional position at age 20 in England and quickly realized coaching was his calling. For the next 10 years, he held three head pro teaching positions in Europe, two in England and one in Switzerland. In 1995, Elliott moved to California to become the head teaching pro at The Decathlon Club in Santa Clara and then at the Pacific Athletic Club in Redwood City. He has more than 30 years of teaching experience and holds the highest level of coach's certification, an England Squash level 3.

In addition to coaching squash, Elliott enjoys competition and has earned impressive results. Before his move to the U.S., he played all the domestic tournaments and leagues in the United Kingdom, at junior as well at adult level tournaments. He also travelled throughout Europe to play in a number of Professional Squash Association events. By age 19, he was ranked in the top 30 in the UK and 107th in the world. In recent years, he was the U.S. National age-level champion in 2002, `03, `05 and '06 reaching the finals in 2000 and in `04. He was also a World Masters finalist in 2008 and took third in 2001.

Elliott is enthusiastic about physical fitness and pushing the limits of his endurance. He trained and completed for the first time a triathlon (half-ironman) meet in San Francisco in the summer of 2011. His other hobbies include reading, golf, snowboarding, and cycling.