The East Carolina Pirates are a

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

team that represents East Carolina University (variously "East Carolina" or "ECU"). The team is a member of the

American Athletic Conference The American Athletic Conference (The American or AAC) is an American collegiate athletic conference, featuring 11 member universities and five affiliate member universities that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) ...

, which is in Division I

Football Bowl Subdivision The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...

(formerly Division I-A) of the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

(NCAA). Mike Houston is the head coach. The

Pirates Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

have won seven conference championships and nine bowl games. The Pirates have 20

All-Americans The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

over its history. Four players have their jerseys retired. Numerous Pirates have played in the NFL, including ten current players. The team played its inaugural season in 1932. The team played home games at College Stadium on the main campus from the 1949 to the 1962 season. With the exception of the 1999

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

football game, they have played their home games at

Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium is the on-campus football facility at East Carolina University for the East Carolina Pirates in Greenville, North Carolina. The official capacity of the stadium is 51,000, tying it for the second largest college stadium ...

every year since 1963. The stadium is located south of East Carolina's main campus near the intersection of South Charles Boulevard and 14th Street. Dowdy-Ficklen underwent an expansion in 2010, raising the capacity of the stadium to 50,000. The Pirates announced a $55 million renovation project to Dowdy-Ficklen in 2016, which will add a new tower above the south side stands, among other things. The coaches and administrative support is located in the Ward Sports Medicine Building, which is located adjacent to the stadium. Strength and conditioning for the players occurs in the Murphy Center, a $13 million indoor training facility which was completed in June 2002 and which is located in the west end zone of Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium. The Pirates also practice and train at the Cliff Moore Practice Facility, which was fully renovated in 2005 and which has two full-length NFL-caliber fields.

History

Early history (1932–1973)

East Carolina began organized football in the fall of 1932. The first football coach in school history was

Kenneth Beatty Charles Kenneth Beatty (April 19, 1905 – September 28, 1977) was an American football and basketball coach. He was the first head football coach at East Carolina Teaching College—now known as East Carolina University East Carolina Universi ...

. They played under the nickname ''Teachers'' because the school was a teacher training school. The team played five games, with two in Greenville. They however did not score a point the whole season, while opponents scored a combined 187 points. The 1933 season started just as they left the 1932 season. The team lost the first four games not scoring a point. The first victory in school history came against

Campbell Campbell may refer to: People Surname * Campbell (surname), includes a list of people with surname Campbell Given name * Campbell Brown (footballer), an Australian rules footballer * Campbell Brown (journalist) (born 1968), American television ne ...

on November 11, 1933. The final score was 6-0. The 1933 team lost their final game against Appalachian St. 14–0. Coach Beatty left after the season. G.L. "Doc" Mathis was appointed the head coach after Coach Beatty left. Before the season, the school decided to change their nickname. The Men's Athletic Association wanted a nickname to inspire "more spirit and enthusiasm." The name was changed from the ''Teachers'' to the present ''Pirates''. His first year, the team lost four games. But, they did win against

Presbyterian Junior College Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

and tied

Old Dominion Old Dominion most commonly refers to: *The Old Dominion, a nickname for the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia ** Colony of Virginia *Old Dominion University, a public university in Norfolk, Virginia **Old Dominion Monarchs, the athletic teams represe ...

. The 1935 season included three wins, which was the largest total so far in history. Coach Mathis left after the season.

Bo Farley Roland "Bo" Farley (March 25, 1907 – April 1, 1999) was an American football, basketball, and baseball coach. He was the head football, basketball and baseball coach of the East Carolina Pirates at the East Carolina Teachers College, now known ...

was introduced as the third head coach. The 1936 season was the first winning season in school history. Coach Farley's team won against Old Dominion, Duke Junior Varsity and Louisburg. He only stayed for one season. J. D. Alexander began coaching in the 1937 season. He had been the head coach at

Lincoln Memorial The Lincoln Memorial is a U.S. national memorial built to honor the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is on the western end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., across from the Washington Monument, and is in the ...

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

. The season started off badly, losing the first five games, but the team finished on a high note, beating both High Point and Louisburg to finish out the season. The one win in the 1938 season came against

Western Carolina Western Carolina University (WCU) is a public university in Cullowhee, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina system. The fifth oldest institution of the sixteen four-year universities in the UNC system, WCU was founded t ...

. The 1938 team also tied against Guilford. O. A. Hankner coached for only one season at East Carolina. His team managed only 18 points and lost every game. The team had numerous injuries that prevented the team from winning a game. After the disastrous 1939 season,

John Christenbury John Boyd Christenbury (February 13, 1907 – July 17, 1944) was an American college football, basketball and baseball coach. His collegiate career began in 1938 when he became athletic director at Brevard College, serving there until 1940. While ...

was tapped as the new head coach. His 1940 team had the first winning season since the 1936 season. The team won the first four games, and lost to North Carolina St. Freshmen and High Point. The only undefeated season happened in the 1941 season. The team scored 159 points compared to allowing 20. East Carolina did not field any athletics from 1942–1945 because of World War II. Coach Christenbury was killed in an explosion at

Port Chicago, California Port Chicago was a town on the southern banks of Suisun Bay, in Contra Costa County, California. It was located east-northeast of Martinez, at an elevation of 13 feet (4 m). It is best known as the site of a devastating explosion at its Naval M ...

on July 1, 1944. Replacing him at coach was Jim Johnson. Coach Johnson was a 16

letterman Letterman may refer to: * Letterman (sports), a classification of high school or college athlete in the United States People * David Letterman (born 1947), American television talk show host ** ''Late Night with David Letterman'', talk show that ...

while at East Carolina. He was brought in to revitalize the athletic program that was on hiatus because of World War II. His football team went 5–3–1 in 1946. The 1947 season brought East Carolina into the

North State Conference Conference Carolinas, formerly known as the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference (CVAC) or the Carolinas Conference, is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) primarily at the Divisio ...

, their first conference affiliation. In the first year of conference play, the team had three wins compared to six losses. The next year was even more disastrous; as his team did not win once. Coach Johnson left after the 1948 season.

Bill Dole William Edward Dole Sr. (July 5, 1909 – February 7, 1966) was an American football coach. He served as the head football coach at East Carolina University from 1949 to 1951 and Davidson College from 1952 to 1964, compiling a career college foo ...

became the Pirates eighth coach after Coach Johnson left. His teams went 4–5–1 in 1949. That made the third consecutive losing year for East Carolina. The 1950 season turned out better. The team tied the number of wins from the past three years with seven. Coach Dole's last year with the Pirates was in 1951. It was another losing season 4–6. Coach Dole left East Carolina and became the head coach at

Davidson Davidson may refer to: * Davidson (name) * Clan Davidson, a Highland Scottish clan * Davidson Media Group * Davidson Seamount, undersea mountain southwest of Monterey, California, USA * Tyler Davidson Fountain, monument in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA * ...

Jack Boone Robert Lee "Jack" Boone (May 28, 1918 – February 6, 1984) was an American football player and coach; most notably he served as head coach for the college football team of East Carolina College (now East Carolina University) for ten years. Early ...

stepped in as the new head coach after Coach Dole left. During his first year, he guided the Pirates to a 1952 regular season record of 6–2–2, and the team was invited to the

Lions Bowl The Pythian Bowl was a postseason college football bowl games, bowl game played from 1949 through 1951. In 1952, the game was played under the name of Lions Bowl. The game was played each year in December in Salisbury, North Carolina, at Shuford Sta ...

, their first

bowl game In North America, a bowl game is one of a number of post-season college football games that are primarily played by teams belonging to the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). For most of its history, the Division I Bowl Subdivis ...

ever. The Pirates came up short against Clarion College, losing 13–6. Coach Boone led the school to another first the next season, as the football team won the North State Conference championship. During the 1953 regular season, the team won eight while losing one en route to this championship. For the second time ever, East Carolina went to a bowl game. The team competed in the

Elks Bowl The Elks Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game played after the 1953 and 1954 regular seasons. There was also an earlier playing of the game, at the junior varsity level, in 1952. Each game was held at a different venue in North Carolin ...

, against

Morris Harvey College The University of Charleston (UC) is a private non-profit university with its main campus in Charleston, West Virginia. The university also has a location in Beckley, West Virginia, known as UC-Beckley. History The school was founded in 1888 ...

, losing 12–0. The 1954 season would be the last winning season for four years. Over the four-year span the team won 12, losing 23 and tying twice. Coach Boone stayed at East Carolina for four more years, finally leaving after the 1961 season. He, at the time, was the longest tenured coach. He helped usher the Pirates into a conference and post-season play. The tenth head coach for the Pirates was

Clarence Stasavich Clarence Stasavich (February 9, 1913 – October 24, 1975) was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Lenoir–Rhyne University in Hickory, North Carolina from 1946 to 1961 ...

. He came to East Carolina after 16 years at Lenoir-Rhyne College. His team went 5–4 his first year. The Pirates went to their first bowl game in nine years in 1963. The team went 9–1 and was invited to the Eastern Bowl. They beat

Northeastern The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...

, 27–6 in their first ever bowl win. The next two years, the team again went 9–1 and was invited to the Tangerine Bowl. They won both games against

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

, 14–13, in 1964 and

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

, 31–0 in 1965. Also in 1964, Coach Stasavich was named the NAIA Coach of the Year. The 1965 season also marked entering their first conference, the

Southern Conference The Southern Conference (SoCon) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly ...

, since the North State/Carolinas Conference. Despite going 4–5–1, Coach Stasavich guided the Pirates to their first conference championship in 13 years. Even though East Carolina won eight games in 1967, they were not invited to a bowl game. The last two seasons for Coach Stasavich were losing seasons. The teams went 4–6 and 2–7. Stasavich departed East Carolina with a 50–27–1 record and was the winningest head coach in ECU football history until Steve Logan surpassed him in 1999. Mike McGee coached at East Carolina for only the 1970 season. He compiled a 3–8 record. His team recorded wins over Furman,

Marshall Marshall may refer to: Places Australia * Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria Canada * Marshall, Saskatchewan * The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia Liberia * Marshall, Liberia Marshall Islands * Marshall Islands, an i ...

and Davidson. The victory over Marshall was the final football game for the 75 Marshall players, coaches, and administrators that departed on

Southern Airways Flight 932 Southern Airways Flight 932 was a chartered Southern Airways Douglas DC-9 domestic United States commercial jet flight from Stallings Field (ISO) in Kinston, North Carolina, to Huntington Tri-State Airport/Milton J. Ferguson Field (HTS) near ...

for Huntington as their plane crashed, leaving no survivors. This tragedy is memorialized in the movie We Are Marshall, and a plaque memorializing the victims is located outside the visitors' locker room at

. McGee left for the 1971 season to become head coach at his alma mater,

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...

. The 1970 season would also mark the first game in the ECU-NC State series. He was enshrined in the

College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vote ...

in 1990. Former NFL wide receiver

Sonny Randle Ulmo Shannon "Sonny" Randle Jr. (January 6, 1936 – May 23, 2017) was an American sportscaster and football player and coach. He played wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago Cardinals/St. Louis Cardinals, San Fran ...

, an assistant coach in 1970, was tapped to take over as head coach after McGee left. His first season only saw four victories. But one victory came over instate rival,

North Carolina State North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...

. The 1972 season accumulated the most wins in a season for the Pirates, since the 1965 season. The team won the Southern Conference Championship, which was the first time since the 1966 season. The only two losses of the season came against North Carolina State and

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

. The 1973 season was much like the 1972 season. The team again won nine games, while only losing to North Carolina State and North Carolina. They also won the conference championship. After the 1973 season, Randle left to become the head coach at his alma mater,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. His record at ECU was 22–10.

Pat Dye era (1974–1979)

East Carolina brought in

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

linebackers coach

Pat Dye Patrick Fain Dye (November 6, 1939 – June 1, 2020) was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at East Carolina University (1974–1979), the University of Wyoming (1980), ...

as their new head coach in 1974. In his first season, the Pirates won seven games, while losing four. The next year, Coach Dye won even more games. The team started the season with opening losses to North Carolina State and Appalachian State. On October 24, 1975, longtime coach and administrator, Clarence Stasavich died. This was one day before the Pirates beat the UNC Tar Heels for the first time ever, 38-17, with Coach Dye preemptively ending the game and taunting the Tar Heels by downing the ball just yards from goal line late in the game. Two games later, on November 8, East Carolina and Dye faced former ECU coach Sonny Randle, who commented on leaving to the ACC program, that the difference between the Virginia program and the ECU program "was like comparing Apples and Oranges." ECU pelted Virginia 61-10 as ECU fans, including then Chancellor Leo Warren Jenkins, threw tons of apples and oranges onto the field late in the fourth quarter and chanted "We Can Handle, Sonny Randle". Coach Dye brought the team to the nine win plateau again in 1976. His team also became Southern Conference Champions for the first time under his tenure. It would also be the last time the Pirates ever would become Southern Conference champions. East Carolina left the conference after the 1976 season. The team again became independent. The team had a winning season in 1977. The Pirates won its opener again NC State, 28–23. The next game it went to

Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county * Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...

to play Duke. Former Pirates coach Mike McGee was still the coach. East Carolina beat the Blue Devils 17–16. The team went on to win eight, while losing three for the season. East Carolina began the 1978 season under the new

Division I-A The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...

moniker. Coach Dye guided the Pirates to an 8–3 record after the season. The team only lost to instate rivals North Carolina and North Carolina State, and

Southern Mississippi The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to a ...

. With the winning mark, ECU went to their first bowl game in 13 years. They beat

Louisiana Tech Louisiana Tech University (Louisiana Tech, La. Tech, or simply Tech) is a public research university in Ruston, Louisiana. It is part of the University of Louisiana System and classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activi ...

in the

Independence Bowl The Independence Bowl is a post-season National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-sanctioned Division I college football bowl game that is played annually each December at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. The Independence Bowl ...

, 35–13. The 1979 season would be the last for Coach Dye at East Carolina. The team again had a winning season, 7–3–1, but was not invited to a bowl game. He left to serve as head coach at

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

for a season, before moving again to Auburn. Dye left ECU after compiling a 48–18–1 record.

Ed Emory era (1980–1984)

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator

Ed Emory Edward Harrell Emory Sr. (April 14, 1937 – January 4, 2013) was an American football player and coach. He became East Carolina University's 14th head football coach in 1980. In 1983, he guided the East Carolina Pirates football, Pirates to an 8 ...

, an ECU alum, became the Pirates fourteenth head coach. His first two years were lackluster, going 4–7 and 5–6. After a 7-4 campaign in 1982, Emory lead East Carolina to a Pirate first in the 1983 season. That team went 8–3, losing only to

Florida State Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

and

. The Pirates lost by a combined 13 points in those three losses. The team was ranked number 20 in the final

AP Poll The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and broadca ...

, the first time East Carolina finished ranked in the polls. The next season the team won two games while losing nine. Coach Emory was fired after the season. He left with a 26–29 record.

Art Baker era (1985–1988)

quarterbacks coach Art Baker, a former ECU assistant, became the next head coach. He had been the head coach at Furman and

The Citadel The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, commonly known simply as The Citadel, is a Public college, public United States senior military college, senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina. Established in 1842, it is one ...

. Coach Baker led the Pirates to records of 2–9 in 1985, 2–9 in 1986, 5–6 in 1987 and 3–8 in 1988. Baker never had a winning record as head coach at East Carolina. His teams went 12–32 over four years and he was fired after the 1988 season.

Bill Lewis era (1989–1991)

East Carolina tapped

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

defensive coordinator and former

head coach

Bill Lewis William Lewis (born 1 August 1953) is an English artist, story-teller, poet and mythographer.Milner, Frank, ed. ''The Stuckists Punk Victorian'', p. 86, National Museums Liverpool 2004, . Pages 6–30, Charles Thomson's essay, "A Stuckist on ...

as Baker's replacement. His first year, Coach Lewis won six games, including wins over

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

and

Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also has educational facilities in six re ...

. This was the first winning season for the Pirates since the 1983 season. The 1990 season was mediocre for the football team, going 5–6. The best winning season for East Carolina occurred in the 1991 season. After losing the opening game to

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

, 31–38, the Pirates won every other game. Notable wins were

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

, Syracuse,

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

and Virginia Tech. For their accomplishment, the

Peach Bowl The Peach Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Atlanta, Georgia since December 1968. Since 1997, it has been sponsored by Chick-fil-A and is officially known as the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. From 2006 to 2013, it was officially ...

invited them to play in their 1992 contest. The team played NC State and came from behind to win 37–34. The Pirates finished the season ranked number No. 9 in the AP and

Coaches Poll The Coaches Poll is a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football, Division I college basketball, and Division I college baseball teams. The football version of the poll has been known officiall ...

. After the season, Lewis won the 1991 Coach-of-the-Year Award. Lewis left East Carolina with a 21–12–1 record to become the new head coach at

Steve Logan era (1992–2002)

The Pirates chose their

offensive coordinator An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of an American football or Canadian football team who is in charge of the team's offense. Generally, along with the defensive coordinator and the special teams coordinator, this coach re ...

Steve Logan to succeed Lewis, promoting him to serve as their 17th head football coach. He led East Carolina for eleven seasons, from 1992–2002. The 1992 and 1993 seasons were both losing efforts. In 1994 Coach Logan logged his first winning season as a head coach, with ECU winning seven games and losing four in the regular season. The team was rewarded by being invited to the

Liberty Bowl The Liberty Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in late December or early January since 1959. For its first five years, it was played at Philadelphia Municipal Stadium in Philadelphia before being held at Atlantic City ...

to face Illinois. The Fighting Illini shut out the Pirates 30–0. This was their first bowl game shutout since the Elks Bowl against Morris Harvey in 1954. The Pirates took the momentum from the 1994 season and increased their win count to nine, while losing three in the 1995 season. The only losses were to

, Illinois and

. For their victories, the Pirates were invited again to the Liberty Bowl in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

, where they played

Stanford Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...

and won 19–13. After the bowl game victory, East Carolina was ranked number 23 in the final Coaches Poll of the year. The 1996 season was another winning year, where they went 8–3 with wins over

, Miami and NC State. Because they were still Independent, with no bowl tie-ins, the Pirates were left out of post-season play. For the 1997 season, the University was invited to Conference USA. This would be the football team's first year of conference play since they left the Southern Conference in 1976. The team struggled to shake mediocrity for their first two Conference USA seasons, going 5–6 and 6–5, respectively. The next three years were more fruitful for the Pirates with quarterback

David Garrard David Douglas Garrard (born February 14, 1978) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons, primarily with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played college football at East Carolina and wa ...

. Garrard would go on to a successful NFL career with the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...

as well as one season with the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...

. The team enjoyed three straight bowls, losing two while winning one. After going 4–8 in 2002, the administration and Logan agreed to part ways. Logan left ECU as the winningest head coach in school history, surpassing

during the 1999 season. Logan's record at ECU was 69–58.

John Thompson era (2003–2004)

Replacing Logan as the Pirates head coach was

defensive coordinator John Thompson. Thompson came to ECU with a great resume as an assistant coach and a reputation as a brilliant defensive mind, working under

Lou Holtz Louis Leo Holtz (born January 6, 1937) is an American former football player, coach, and analyst. He served as the head football coach at The College of William & Mary (1969–1971), North Carolina State University (1972–1975), the New York ...

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

Joe Raymond Peace Joe Raymond Peace Jr. (born June 5, 1945) is an American former college football coach. Peace served as head football coach at Louisiana Tech University. Head coaching record References {{DEFAULTSORT:Peace, Joe Raymond 194 ...

Curley Hallman Hudson "Curley" Hallman (born September 3, 1947) is a former American football player and current coach. He was hired as the Defensive Cooridinator for the University of Alabama on January 13, 2023. He served as the head coach at the University of ...

and Jeff Bower at

Southern Miss The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a public research university with its main campus located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's, ma ...

Houston Nutt Houston Dale Nutt Jr. (born October 14, 1957) is a former American football player and coach. He currently works for CBS Sports as a college football studio analyst. Previously, he served as the head football coach at Murray State University (19 ...

at Arkansas and

Ron Zook Ronald Andrew Zook (; born April 28, 1954) is an American football coach and former player who currently serves as the Defensive Coordinator of the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL. He was the head football coach at the University of Florida from ...

at Florida. Coach Thompson's tenure set the Pirates back several years, accumulating only three wins over two years, with records of 1–11 in 2003 and 2–9 in 2004. His teams beat only

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

both years and

Tulane Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into a comprehensive pub ...

his second year. Amid much fan and administration impatience and frustration with the struggles of the football program, athletics director

Terry Holland Michael Terrence Holland (born April 2, 1942) is an American college athletics administrator and former basketball player and coach. He is currently the emeritus director of athletics and special assistant to Chancellor Steve Ballard at East Caro ...

fired Thompson after the 2004 season. Thompson left with an abysmal 3–20 record.

Skip Holtz era (2005–2009)

In December 2004, Holland brought in former

UConn The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Ha ...

head coach

Skip Holtz Louis Leo "Skip" Holtz Jr. (born March 12, 1964) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Birmingham Stallions of the United States Football League (USFL). Previously, he was the head coach for the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (201 ...

, son of legendary coach

, to become the Pirates nineteenth head football coach. In his first season, Coach Holtz helped turn the team around winning five games, two more wins than the John Thompson had accomplished in his entire tenure. His second season marked the Pirates first winning season since 2000, winning seven games, and East Carolina was bowl-eligible for the first time since the 2001 season. The 2006 team had notable wins over

Central Florida Central Florida is a region of the U.S. state of Florida. Different sources give different definitions for the region, but as its name implies it is usually said to comprise the central part of the state, including the Tampa Bay area and the Gr ...

and North Carolina State. A loss to

Rice Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima ''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...

in the last conference game of the year kept the Pirates out of the Conference USA Championship Game. For the teams winning season, the newly created Papajohns.com Bowl invited the team to play in their contest, where East Carolina lost to former C-USA rival

South Florida South Florida is the southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the other two are Central Florida and North Florida. South Florida is the southernmost part of th ...

, 24–7. In 2007, Holtz' Pirates continued their winning ways. The team won eight regular season games, earning the team their second bowl game in two years. The Pirates played the Boise State in the

Hawai'i Bowl The Hawaiʻi Bowl is a college football bowl game that has been played in the Honolulu, Hawaii area since 2002. The game was originally held at Aloha Stadium in Halawa, Hawaii, a suburb of Honolulu, before moving to the Clarence T. C. Ching Ath ...

, defeating the Broncos by a score of 41–38. The Hawaii Bowl win marked the first for the Pirates since the Galleryfurniture.com Bowl win against

Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...

in 2000. On August 30, 2008 the Pirates pulled off a stunning upset against then 17th ranked

27–22 on a late blocked punt returned for a touchdown by senior wide receiver

T.J. Lee T. J. Lee III (born March 20, 1991) is an Americans, American professional Canadian football defensive back for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL). College career Lee played college football for the Eastern Washington Eagles foot ...

. The following week they pulled off an even stronger upset of then 8th ranked

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

by the score of 24–3, not allowing a touchdown for the entire game. This was the Pirates third straight victory against a top-25 ranked opponent, counting Boise State from the year before. As a result, East Carolina was awarded with the number 14 ranking in the Associated Press poll and 20th in the USA Today poll, the highest since January 1992 when the Pirates were ranked ninth. The Pirates finished the 2008 regular season at 9-5, winning the Eastern Division of Conference USA and defeating Tulsa in the Championship game. This was the first Conference Championship for ECU since 1976. ECU was then invited to the Auto Zone Liberty bowl to face

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

, where the Pirates controlled the first half, but fell to UK 25-19. The next season, East Carolina produced a second Conference USA title with a 38-32 win over

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

, and finished the season at 9–5 after an overtime loss to the

in the

. On January 14, 2010, it was announced that Holtz was leaving his position at East Carolina to take the head football coach position at the

, replacing the recently fired

Jim Leavitt James Pierce Leavitt (born December 5, 1956) is an American football coach and former player. He served as the head coach at the University of South Florida from the football program's inception in 1997 until 2009, compiling a record of 95–57. ...

. Holtz left ECU with a 38–27 record.

Ruffin McNeill era (2010–2015)

On January 21, 2010, it was announced that

defensive coordinator

Ruffin McNeill Ruffin Horne McNeill Jr. (born October 8, 1958) is an American football coach and former player who currently serves as the special assistant to the head coach at NC State University. He previously served as the assistant head coach and outside ...

would become the 20th head coach of the Pirates. McNeill was a defensive back for the Pirates for four years, three of which he was a starter and two he served as team captain. McNeill graduated from East Carolina University in 1980. McNeill's hiring made him the first

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

head coach in ECU football history. In his first season, the Pirates went 6–6 beating in state rival NC State. They lost to

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

in the Military Bowl to finish the season at 6–7. 2011 saw the Pirates going 5–7 before bouncing back in 2012 finishing 8–5, losing to

Louisiana-Lafayette The University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette, University of Louisiana, ULL, or UL) is a public research university in Lafayette, Louisiana. It has the largest enrollment within the nine-campus University of Louisiana System and the s ...

in the

New Orleans Bowl The New Orleans Bowl is an NCAA-sanctioned post-season college football bowl game that has been played annually since 2001. It is normally held at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans; when the Superdome and the rest of the city suffered damage due t ...

by a score of 43–34. In 2013, McNeill took the Pirates to a 10–3 season; the second time in school history. The season included a 55–31 win over

Chapel Hill Chapel Hill or Chapelhill may refer to: Places Antarctica * Chapel Hill (Antarctica) Australia *Chapel Hill, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane *Chapel Hill, South Australia, in the Mount Barker council area Canada * Chapel Hill, Ottawa, a neighbo ...

, finishing with a bowl win over

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

in the Beef O' Brady's Bowl. The 2014 campaign started off promising with a 28-21 win at Virginia Tech and a 70-41 win over North Carolina. The momentum would slow down as the Pirates finished 8–4 before losing to Florida in the Birmingham Bowl. After a 2015 campaign where the Pirates regressed to 5–7 overall and 3–5 in American Athletic Conference play, East Carolina athletics director Jeff Compher announced on December 4, 2015 that the university had fired McNeill. McNeill finished his 6-year tenure at East Carolina with a 42–34 overall record, 30–18 combined Conference USA and American Athletic Conference records, and a 1–3 bowl record.

Scottie Montgomery era (2016–2018)

On December 13, 2015, athletics director Jeff Compher announced

Scottie Montgomery Scottie Austin Montgomery (born May 26, 1978) is an American football coach for the Indianapolis Colts He most recently was the offensive coordinator at the University of Maryland. Prior to his tenure with Maryland, he was the head football coa ...

as the 21st head football coach at East Carolina University. Montgomery came to Greenville after a stint as associate head coach and offensive coordinator at

under head coach

David Cutcliffe David Nelson Cutcliffe (born September 16, 1954) is the Special Assistant to the Commissioner for Football Relations at the Southeastern Conference and former college football coach, most recently head coach of the Duke University Blue Devils. ...

. Montgomery had served as wide receivers coach for the NFL's

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

under head coach

Mike Tomlin Michael Pettaway Tomlin (born March 15, 1972) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). Since joining the Steelers in 2007, he has led the team to ten playoff runs, s ...

, and in that same role at Duke. In Montgomery's first season, the Pirates compiled a record of 3–9. The Pirates won their first two games of the season, defeating FCS opponent

by a margin of 52–7 and archrival

NC State North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The university ...

by a score of 33–30. However, Montgomery's squad dropped their next five, beginning with a 20–15 loss to

. On September 24, East Carolina lost to

by a score of 54–17. That was followed by a 47–29 loss to UCF. On October 8, Montgomery's Pirates lost to

by a score of 38–22. The Pirates were scheduled to host

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

on October 13, but due to

Hurricane Matthew Hurricane Matthew was an extremely powerful Atlantic hurricane which caused catastrophic damage and a humanitarian crisis in Haiti, as well as widespread devastation in the southeastern United States. The deadliest Atlantic hurricane since ...

battering the

coast that weekend, the game was rescheduled for November 19. After a 31–19 loss to

, the Pirates snapped their five-game skid by dominating

to the tune of 41–3. East Carolina lost their last four games to finish the season; falling to

Tulsa Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma and List of United States cities by population, 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...

by a score of 45–24, SMU by a margin of 55–31,

by a score of 66–31 and

Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

by a score of 37–10. Montgomery was terminated before the 2018 season finale after three seasons.

Mike Houston era (2019–present)

On December 3, 2018, ECU announced the hiring of Mike Houston as the 22nd head coach in the program's history. Houston came to ECU after spending the previous 3 seasons as head coach at

James Madison University James Madison University (JMU, Madison, or James Madison) is a public research university in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the institution was renamed Madison Coll ...

, having won an FCS National Championship with the team in 2016; he won a

championship as Head Coach of

and had a Division II National Runner-up as Head Coach at Lenoir-Rhyne University.

Conference affiliations

* Independent (1932–1946) *

(1947–1961) *

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

(1962–1964) *

(1965–1976) * Independent (1977–1996) * Conference USA (1997–2013) *

(2014–present)

Championships

Conference championships

East Carolina has been in a total of four conferences: North State, Southern, Conference USA and the American Athletic Conference. The team were the champions in the North State Conference in 1953. The Pirates won the Southern Conference three times outright, and shared the championship once. On December 5, 2008 East Carolina Defeated Tulsa 27-24 to capture the 2008 Conference USA championship, their first conference title in 32 years. On December 5, 2009, they defeated Houston 38-32 to win their 2nd straight C-USA title. † Co-champion

Division championships

† Co-champion

Bowl games

The Pirates have participated in 20 bowl games compiling a record of 9–11. The team went to one bowl game twice, the Tangerine Bowl and have been to the Liberty Bowl four times.

Head coaches

There have been 21

head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...

es of the Pirates. Steve Logan is the all-time leader in games coached, years coached, and wins, while John Christenbury leads all coaches in winning percentage with 0.867. O. A. Hankner is statistically the worst coach the Pirates have had in terms of winning percentage, with .000.

Facilities

Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium

The Pirates play their home games at Bagwell Field at Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, North Carolina. The stadium is located at the intersection of 14th Street and Charles Avenue. It has a maximum capacity of 50,000. Bagwell Field has been recognized as having the second best field design in the nation. Dr. Leo Jenkins, President of East Carolina, announced his plans to build a new stadium for the Pirates on October 7, 1961. It took a year for Dr. Jenkins to raise $283,387, even though only $200,000 was requested. The James Skinner Ficklen Memorial Stadium was dedicated on September 21, 1963. The stadium included stands on the south side, a press box and a lighting system. James S. Ficklen, a Greenville tobacco company executive, established the Ficklen Foundation, which is a financial aid foundation. Ronald and Mary Ellen Dowdy, a real estate developer in

Orlando, Florida Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...

, donated $1 million to the school. For his donation, Ficklen Stadium was renamed the Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium in 1994. Al and Debbie Bagwell of

Lake Gaston Lake Gaston is a hydroelectric reservoir in the eastern United States. Part of the lake is in the North Carolina counties of Halifax, Northampton, and Warren. The part extending into Virginia lies in Brunswick and Mecklenburg counties. Lake Ga ...

, donated a large gift to the school and the field was named Bagwell Field in their honor in 1995. Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium has gone through many enhancements over the years. The north side stands were built in 1968, increasing capacity to 20,000. During 1977–1978, seating was increased by 15,000. In 1994, the stadium was renamed Dowdy-Ficklen and roads were improved around the stadium. For the 1996–1998 seasons, the upper deck on the north side was built and improvements were made to the press box on the south side. A new scoreboard was introduced in 1999 and a , three ton sculpture of the Pirate was unveiled. The east end zone has been enclosed, bringing the stadium's capacity to 50,000. An 88 ft x 28 ft HD scoreboard was added to the top of the section, which stands as one of the largest and most advanced scoreboards in the nation. In May 2016, East Carolina revealed a $55 million renovation project for Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium, which is a portion of its athletic facilities master plan. The project includes a four-story tower above the south side stands with over 1,000 new premium seats and boxes, a new press box, and a new field-level club section in the north end zone. It began construction after the 2017 football season. The expansion, known as TowneBank Tower, was completed in August 2019.

Cliff Moore Practice Facility

The NFL-caliber Cliff Moore Practice Facility is located between Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium and Clark-LeClair Stadium on Charles Boulevard. The facility is a hallmark of the ECU athletic complex and consists of three fields, two

natural Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are ...

and one FieldTurf. The natural fields are based on Dowdy-Ficklen field. The fields are Bermuda Tift grass with gravel and sand-based drainage. The fields are parallel to one another and run north to south. The FieldTurf field is perpendicular to the natural grass fields. The field is .

Murphy Center

The Murphy Center is located in the west endzone at Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium. It is a multi-purpose building. The building opened its doors to ECU student-athletes in June 2002 and was dedicated on September 13, 2002. On the ground floor is the Walter and Marie Williams Strength and Conditioning Area where athletes train. Also on the ground floor is the Robert and Virginia Maynard Lobby. On the second story is the C. Felix and Margaret Blount Harvey Banquet Hall, the Dick and Susan Jones Academic Enhancement Center and the Bill and Emily Furr Lobby. Located between Harvey Hall and the Jones Academic Enhancement Center is the sport memorabilia area. The building is named for Pete and Lynn Murphy of

Rose Hill, North Carolina Rose Hill is a town in Duplin County, North Carolina, United States. Its population was 1,626 at the 2010 census. Rose Hill claims to be the home of the world's largest frying pan. History A post office called Rose Hill was established in 1872. Th ...

. The center was built for approximately $13 million.

Ward Sports Medicine Building

The Ward Sports Medicine Building is located adjacent to the Murphy Center at East Carolina. It is a three-story building that was built in 1989. It is and cost $8 million to build. On the first floor are football locker rooms, athletic training room, equipment room, and a women's locker room which hosts the ECU softball, women's soccer, and women's tennis teams. Also on the first floor are meeting rooms for the football team. The eight rooms consist of one 107-seat team meeting room, one 55-seat unit room, and six 12 to 15 team positional rooms. On the second floor are football and basketball offices, the ECU Hall of Fame, and classrooms for students. On the third floor, the Pirate Club, the Director of Athletics

, and other administrative and support officials have offices. The building is named for two alumni, Robert Allen (Bob) and Margaret Ann Cude Ward.

Rivalries

Marshall

East Carolina and

have a "friendly" rivalry with one another. They are forever bonded in history by the tragic

plane crash An aviation accident is defined by the Convention on International Civil Aviation Annex 13 as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft, which takes place from the time any person boards the aircraft with the ''intention of fl ...

on November 14, 1970. The Thundering Herd were coming back from Greenville, North Carolina after a 17-14 loss to the Pirates when their plane crashed near

Ceredo, West Virginia Ceredo is a town in Wayne County, West Virginia, United States, situated along the Ohio River. The population was 1,450 at the 2010 census. Ceredo is a part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). As of the 200 ...

. The teams have been bonded ever since. East Carolina has since installed a large Marshall Memorial plaque outside of Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium honoring those that passed in the crash. One of East Carolina and Marshall's most memorable games was the

2001 GMAC Bowl The 2001 GMAC Bowl, a college football bowl game held on December 19 at Ladd–Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama, pitted the Marshall Thundering Herd, then of the Mid-American Conference, against the East Carolina Pirates from Conference USA. T ...

as they combined for a bowl record 125 points. Marshall overcame a 30-point deficit to beat East Carolina 64-61 in double overtime. East Carolina left for the American Conference in 2014, leaving questions as to the future of the series, but the two teams announced a home-and-home series for 2020 and 2021. East Carolina leads the all-time record over Marshall 10-5. ECU is 6-3 against the Herd from 2005 to 2013 when both schools were in Conference USA.

NC State

ECU has played N.C. State 32 times since their 1st meeting in 1970. The schools are approximately apart and are the largest (N.C. State) and third largest (East Carolina) universities in the state. The series started as a yearly occurrence, from 1970–1987, but was halted after ECU fans rioted and stormed the NC State field in 1987. The next time the two teams played was in the 1992

, when the Pirates came from behind to win 37–34. The Wolfpack's first trip to Greenville occurred in 1999 when No. 23 East Carolina beat State 23–6. In the 2006 season, the Wolfpack and Pirates agreed to a five-year home-and-home series to revive the rivalry. 2007 brought the creation of the football rivalry's trophy, The Victory Barrel, created in a collaborative effort by both schools' Student Governments. East Carolina and N.C. State will extend the series with games added in 2025 and 2028. NC State leads the overall series 19–13 through the 2022 season.

UCF

A rivalry that has recently become more intense has been ECU's rivalry with the

UCF Knights The UCF Knights are the athletic teams that represent the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. The Knights participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I ( FBS for football) as a member of the Am ...

. Considered one of the more entertaining rivalries in the American Athletic Conference, the teams have met 9 times since 2005 when UCF joined ECU in both teams' former conference, Conference USA. After taking a 1-year hiatus in 2013, the teams will continue to meet annually as members of the East Division of the American Conference. East Carolina leads the series 11-10, with ECU winning the last meeting 34-13. The most notable matchup of the rivalry was the 2014 iteration, an ESPN primetime Thursday night game that saw East Carolina score 21 unanswered points in the 4th quarter to take the lead, only to fall to a 51-yard Hail Mary touchdown from Justin Holman to

Breshad Perriman Breshad Perriman (born September 10, 1993) is an American football wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at UCF and was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round ...

with time expiring.

Other notable series

;North Carolina East Carolina and North Carolina is the 11th-most played series for ECU since 1978. Because both are large state schools, East Carolina being the third largest and North Carolina being the second largest, many fans and alumni live close to one another. The series began in 1972; the two played eight times between 1972 and 1981 (all in Chapel Hill), and ten times since 2001. Overall, UNC officially leads the series 11-5-1 (12-5-1 including the vacated 2009 game). ECU has won the last three contests by large margins (55-31 in 2013, 70-41 in 2014, and 41-19 in 2018). The ECU-UNC football series is also political in nature. In 1973, then ECU Chancellor Leo Warren Jenkins approached the

North Carolina General Assembly The North Carolina General Assembly is the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of the Government of North Carolina, State government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the North Carolina Senate, Senate and the North Ca ...

and UNC system President

William Friday William Clyde Friday (July 13, 1920 – October 12, 2012) was an American educator who served as the head of the University of North Carolina system from 1956 to 1986. He was born in Raphine, Virginia and raised in Dallas, North Carolina. Frid ...

about establishing a four-year medical school at ECU. At the time, North Carolina's only public medical school was in Chapel Hill and had been since 1879. ECU had a smaller program where students completed one year in Greenville and then transferred to finish their medical education at the larger school in Chapel Hill. Friday was concerned that the state could not afford to fund two medical schools, and refused to recommend to the General Assembly that ECU be granted a full-time four-year medical school. The 1973 game in Chapel Hill resulted in a 28-27 UNC victory, but the underdog Pirates' competitiveness with the state's flagship university stunned the media and fans assembled at

Kenan Stadium Kenan Memorial Stadium is a stadium located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and is the home field of the North Carolina Tar Heels. It is primarily used for football. The stadium opened in 1927 and holds 50,500 people. It is located near the cen ...

. In 1974, President Friday changed his mind on Chancellor Jenkins' request to establish a four-year medical school at ECU, and, today, the

Brody School of Medicine The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University (BSOM) is a public medical school located in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. It offers a Doctor of Medicine program, combined Doctor of Medicine / Master of Public Health and Doc ...

operates alongside its sister school in Chapel Hill as the state's only publicly funded medical schools. ;South Carolina East Carolina has played South Carolina 19 times since 1977, and the two schools have a signed deal in place to play a future games in Greenville, North Carolina in 2021 as well as a game in Columbia, South Carolina in 2020. South Carolina won the first 8 contests, however the intensity of this series ramped up considerably when ECU won 5 out of 7 games during the 1990s. Subsequently, the series was subjected to a 12-year hiatus until resuming once again at a neutral site game in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2011. South Carolina leads the series 14–5. ;Southern Miss The Pirates' most played opponent in their history has been the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, and this series was at one time considered to be one of the more consistent old southern series in college football. The teams first met in 1951, and played annually from 1983–2013. Fans of both teams have generally viewed this rivalry as one of mutual respect, and the two teams tended to have extremely physical games taking place in the tough late summer conditions of Mississippi or Eastern North Carolina. When ECU left Conference USA for the American Conference, the two teams put their series on hold for the extended future. USM holds the win–loss record at 27–12. ;Virginia Tech East Carolina has played Virginia Tech regularly since 2007, and the two schools signed a deal to play annually on an alternating home basis from 2013 until 2020. The regularity of this series has certainly heated up the importance of the game between the two schools in recent years, and the competitiveness of the series has made it a game that could arguably be considered a regional rivalry. Virginia Tech won the first meeting between the two in 1956, 37–2, but East Carolina's first win came the next time the teams met in 1987, 32–23. The two schools met annually from 1987–1994. In 2007, the Pirates and the Hokies met on the field in Blacksburg in the first football game after the

Virginia Tech massacre The Virginia Tech shooting was a spree shooting that occurred on April 16, 2007, comprising two attacks on the campus of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States. Seung-Hui Cho, an ...

, where the Hokies won 17–7. In 2008, the Pirates beat the Hokies in Charlotte with a blocked punt 27–22. Virginia Tech leads the series 15–7. ;West Virginia The Pirates have played West Virginia 21 times since 1970. From 2002 to 2009, the Pirates and the Mountaineers met annually. The first time the two teams met was in Greenville in 1970, where West Virginia won 28–14 and would continue to win the next few series until 1995, when East Carolina recorded its first win over the Mountaineers in Greenville, 23–20. East Carolina has never beaten West Virginia in Morgantown. The two teams agreed to extend the series in 2013, after a three-year break. West Virginia leads the series 18–3.

Traditions

* Colors – The Pirates official colors are

old gold Old gold is a dark yellow, which varies from light olive or olive brown to deep or strong yellow, generally on the darker side of this range. The first recorded use of ''old gold'' as a color name in English was in the early 19th century (exact ...

and

royal purple Tyrian purple ( grc, πορφύρα ''porphúra''; la, purpura), also known as Phoenician red, Phoenician purple, royal purple, imperial purple, or imperial dye, is a reddish-purple natural dye. The name Tyrian refers to Tyre, Lebanon. It is ...

. Helmets are metallic purple with the skull and crossbones logo. Uniforms are either all purple, purple and white, or all white. In 2013, ECU also released an alternate black uniform for the September 5th game against FAU. Since the debut of the all black uniform, ECU now also wears variations of purple and black as well as black and white. * Songs – The fight song, known as E.C. Victory, is played after every touchdown or big play. The football players sing the alma mater with the students after every home game. The

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

song Purple Haze plays as the players run onto the field before kickoff. * Nicknames – East Carolina football teams have had several nicknames over the years including the Teachers, Buccaneers, or EC. Originally, the sports teams were called the Teachers. In 1934, the Men's Athletic Association decided they wanted a new nickname to inspire "more spirit and enthusiasm." The Pirate was chosen, and is the official nickname. * Mascots – The Pirate is the official mascot of the university. It was formerly known as PeeDee the Pirate, from its inception in 1983 until December 1985, when Chancellor Howell dropped PeeDee from the name. The University once again adopted the name PeeDee the Pirate after the unveiling of an updated look for the Pirate in the 2008 homecoming football game against the

Marshall Thundering Herd The Marshall Thundering Herd is the intercollegiate athletic collection of teams that collectively represent the Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Thundering Herd athletic teams compete in the Sun Belt Conference, which are member ...

. The first official mascot was Buc, a

Great Dane The Great Dane is a large sized dog breed originating from Germany. The Great Dane descends from hunting dogs from the Middle Ages used to hunt wild boar and deer, and as guardians of German nobility. It is one of the largest breeds in the worl ...

. He was the mascot from 1958, until his death in 1961. Other mascots included Pete, a dog who was a mascot in the 1970s and a live wildcat from 1930–1931. * Game day traditions – Many game weekend traditions occur each home football game. Each Friday is Purple and Gold Day, or Paint it Purple Fridays. Supporters of the university are encouraged to wear colors and insignias of the university the day before the game. Before each game, the Pirate Walk occurs. The football players walk from the North side of the stadium to the locker room and fans come by to show support to the team. When ECU takes the field, they run through purple smoke, before huddling up and running onto the field. A

cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

is fired when the players run onto the field and after every score. During the intermission between the third and fourth quarter a new flag is raised. The normal

jolly roger Jolly Roger is the traditional English name for the flags flown to identify a pirate ship preceding or during an attack, during the early 18th century (the later part of the Golden Age of Piracy). The flag most commonly identified as the Jolly ...

flag with a black background is lowered and replaced with a No Quarter flag. The No Quarter flag is a jolly roger flag with a burgundy background, to symbolize soaked blood. Below the jolly roger are the words

No Quarter The phrase no quarter was generally used during military conflict to imply combatants would not be taken prisoner, but killed. According to some modern American dictionaries, a person who is given no quarter is "not treated kindly" or "treated ...

Players of note

All-Americans

Every year, several publications release lists of their ideal "team". The athletes on these lists are referred to as

. The NCAA recognizes five All-American lists. They are the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

American Football Coaches Association The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) is an association of over 11,000 American football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "mainta ...

, Football Writers Association of America,

The Sporting News The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...

, and the

Walter Camp Football Foundation The Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF) is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The organization also presents various awards. It is named in honor of foo ...

. Some of these also have levels such as a first team All-American, or second team, or third team. A consensus All-American is determined using a point system; three points if the player was selected for the first team, two points for the second team, and one point for the third team. East Carolina has had 27 All-Americans (three consensus) in its history.

NCAA records

2016 – Wide receiver

Zay Jones Isaiah Avery "Zay" Jones (born March 30, 1995) is an American football wide receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at East Carolina. Jones is the all-time NCAA Division I career r ...

became the NCAA Division I football single season leader in receptions with 158 for the 2016 season, breaking the record of 155 set by Freddie Barnes of Bowling Green in 2009. 2016 – Wide receiver

became the NCAA Division I football career leader in receptions with 399 receptions from 2013–2016, breaking the record of 387 held by his former ECU Pirate teammate

Justin Hardy Justin Hardy (born December 18, 1991) is a gridiron football wide receiver for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He played college f ...

. 2016 – With a 33-30 victory over rival North Carolina State on September 9, 2016, ECU became the first "Non-Power" program to defeat a single "Power Conference" (vs. ACC) six-consecutive times from 2013–16, thereby breaking a four-way tie with TCU (vs. BIG XII), Boise State (vs. PAC-12), and BYU (vs. PAC-12) all of which each had previously established five-game winning streaks against a single "Power Conference." ECU defeated regional rivals Virginia Tech, North Carolina, and North Carolina State two-consecutive times each respectively during the Pirates' six-game winning streak against the ACC. 2014 – Wide receiver

became the NCAA Division I football career leader in receptions with 387 receptions from 2010–2014, breaking the record of 349 held by

Ryan Broyles Ryan may refer to: People and fictional characters *Ryan (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) *Ryan (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) Places Australia * Division of Ryan, an elector ...

of the University of Oklahoma. 2011 – Quarterback

Dominique Davis Dominique Dion Davis (born July 17, 1989) is an American professional gridiron football quarterback for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2012. Davis played ...

became the NCAA Division I football career leader in consecutive completions in a single game with 26 completions against the Naval Academy on October 22, 2011, breaking the record of 23 straight completions set in 1998 by

Tee Martin Tamaurice Nigel "Tee" Martin (born July 25, 1978) is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the quarterbacks coach for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach at th ...

of Tennessee against South Carolina and tied in 2004 by Aaron Rodgers of California versus Southern California. 2011 – Quarterback

became the NCAA Division I football career leader in consecutive completions in one or more games with 36 completions, last 10 attempts vs. Memphis, Oct. 15, 2011 and first 26 vs. Navy, Oct. 22, 2011, breaking the NCAA mark of 26 set in 2004 by Aaron Rodgers. 2007 – Chris Johnson set an NCAA bowl record with 408 all-purpose yards in a 41-38 victory over No. 24 Boise State in the Hawaii Bowl on December 23, 2007.

Individual honors

2014 – Quarterback

Shane Carden Shane Michael Carden (born November 6, 1991) is a former American football quarterback, and current Wood River High School head football coach. He was the MVP of Conference USA as a Junior while playing quarterback for East Carolina in 2013 and ...

was named the American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year. 2013 – Quarterback Shane Carden was named the Conference USA Most Valuable Player. 2010 – Wide receiver Dwayne Harris was named the Conference USA Most Valuable Player. 1991 – Head Coach Bill Lewis was named the AFCA Division I-A Coach of the Year. 1991 – Quarterback Jeff Blake was named ECAC Division I-A Player-of-the-Year after leading Pirates to No. 9 national ranking (Blake also finished seventh in the 1991 Heisman Trophy balloting).

NFL Draft

2007 Hawaii Bowl - Boise State University vs East Carolina University - Chris Johnson

East Carolina has had 67 players picked in the

NFL Draft The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or (officially) the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. Each team is given a position in the drafting o ...

as of 2022. Their first ever selection was Roger Thrift, a blocker that was picked by the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...

, in the 1951 NFL Draft. In the 1992 NFL Draft, linebacker Robert Jones was picked in the first round (#24 overall) and in the

2008 NFL Draft The 2008 NFL Draft was the 73rd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 26 and April 27, ...

, running back Chris Johnson, was picked by the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...

(#24 overall).

Retired numbers

East Carolina have retired four jerseys for their football team. Two players died while on the team, Robert Farris and Norman Swindell, and the two other players, James Speight and Roger Thrift, set record while playing for the Pirates. ;Notes

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of November 24, 2022

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:East Carolina Pirates Football American football teams established in 1932 1932 establishments in North Carolina