ECU basketball coach Jeff Lebo gets animated during a game last season at Minges Coliseum. Lebo, a former North Carolina player, would be a likely target of UNC-Chapel Hill administrators to succeed Roy Williams if the fallout from the most recent alleged academic scandal in the school's athletics program costs the Tar Heels coach his job. (File photo by W.A. Myatt)

By Al Myatt
©2014 Bonesville.net
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Allegations from former North Carolina basketball player Rashad McCants could have significant implications for East Carolina.

McCants has said he received improper academic assistance while helping the Tar Heels to an NCAA championship in 2005.

UNC-Chapel Hill coach Roy Williams was aware of the improprieties, McCants has said and reiterated.

Williams has denied the accusations from his former star that he knew that McCants remained eligible because tutors wrote papers for him for slide courses in Afro-Am studies.

McCants wouldn't be the first athlete at the school to have been guided down the road of reduced responsibility in the classroom.

The UNC football program, which visits ECU on Sept. 20, has dealt with a variety of sanctions for violations that included circumstances similar to those McCants has recounted.

The situation in football ultimately cost Butch Davis his job as coach.

A wave of new administrators has taken over in Chapel Hill since the illegal activity surfaced regarding the football program.

There has been a realization that a credible investigation is necessary in the process of restoring the school's integrity.

Former federal prosecutor Kenneth Wainstein has been charged with conducting the end-all probe that will allow the institution to address its failures and fathom the depth of corruption.

McCants certainly kept the ball rolling in a series of revelations that have eroded the foundation of perception regarding UNC athletics.

As Wainstein conducts interviews and examines transcripts, it's not inconceivable that some substance will be found in terms of McCants' contentions.

The extent of Williams' knowledge of the situation could well determine his job status.

If the Tar Heels were using a player who should have been ineligible, forfeiture of a national title becomes a possible consequence.

Williams' resignation likely would be an element of the ensuing adjustments.

That's where the Pirates could be impacted as the dominoes continue to fall.

UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham wouldn't have to look any farther than Greenville to find a proven coach with Tar Heel connections.

Jeff Lebo has the resume and untarnished reputation to meet approval at his alma mater.

He's done a great job at ECU, unparalleled in fact in terms of winning percentage on the Division I level. He rebuffed interest from Penn State several years ago because he and his family are happy with the Pirates. His wife's parents are nearby in Williamston.

But the opportunity to coach in Chapel Hill is not one Lebo would turn down.

He has similar experience at Auburn, following Cliff Ellis after NCAA violations led to a change on the plains.

Lebo would be the man for the job, but that probably hinges on what Wainstein discovers — or another bombshell from an unanticipated source.

It's interesting to contemplate what the sum of knowledge about the situation might reveal.

Search for Godwin's successor

The scenario involving Lebo is speculation at this point but ECU athletic director Jeff Compher does have an important coaching vacancy to deal with at the moment.

Billy Godwin didn't make the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year in his ninth season as Pirates baseball coach. That appeared to be the factor that negated a contract extension.

Godwin never had a losing season at ECU but didn't meet expectations for the program. How realistic those expectations are is another topic for discussion as there are simply more competitive programs in Division I baseball than ever before.

The Pirates swept North Carolina in 2014 and took series with Rice and Texas-San Antonio, the finalists in the Conference USA tournament at Southern Miss.

ECU put in a bid for the C-USA tourney but it's doubtful how seriously the submission was taken in the Pirates' last year in the league.

Losses to Marshall were difficult to figure but weather severely limited practice early in the season.

The Pirates seemed to struggle offensively when Jeff Hoffman was pitching on Friday nights.

The saga of Hoffman included season-ending Tommy John surgery before he was picked ninth overall in the MLB draft by the Toronto Blue Jays.

Such contrasts seemed to abound in Godwin's last season at ECU.

An audible segment of the fan base was ready for a change but Godwin still managed the team situation by situation during the course of a difficult season.

The move to put Ryan Williams in the bullpen paid off magnificently with the senior right-hander compiling an 11-3 record with seven saves and a 1.81 earned run average before he was taken in the 10th round by the Cubs.

Williams wore the No. 23 of former Pirates coach Keith LeClair as well as anyone has.

Baseball fate saw to it that Godwin won his last home game in memorable fashion, on an extra-inning bunt against UTSA that stayed fair down the third base line. Godwin, who coached third base, took input from baserunner Drew Reynolds and presented the option to batter Luke Lowery to lay one down.

A daily devotion was part of Godwin's routine and I know he moves on with the assurance that it's all part of the Good Lord's plan.

He commuted from Rocky Mount on a daily basis for much of his ECU coaching career so his daughter could finish school with her classmates. There was a lot more to Godwin than a lot of people saw.

All of that being what it is, Compher is conducting a search for a replacement.

We're finding out more about Compher's style in regard to how he has handled the baseball situation. He didn't extend Godwin after the 2013 season, but didn't put another strain on the athletic budget by buying out his remaining year either.

We will see if Compher values an ECU connection with the announcement of the new coach. That factor might boost Virginia assistant Kevin McMullan, Ole Miss assistant Cliff Godwin, Michigan head coach Erik Bakich, Wolverines assistant Nick Schnabel, Pitt Community College coach Tommy Eason, West Virginia coach Randy Mazey and Louisville pitching coach Roger Williams in the consideration process.

McMullan and Godwin are at the College World Series in Omaha, the long time goal of the ECU program.

The program is under the capable leadership of Dan Roszel until a new coach is named.

Simpson has Greenville roots

The 114th U.S. Open got started at Pinehurst No. 2 on Thursday at 6:45 a.m.

Webb Simpson won the 2012 title at the Olympic Club in San Francisco and has connections across the state.

He was born in Raleigh and won an NCHSAA 4-A championship at Pinehurst while at Broughton High School. Simpson was a three-time All-American at Wake Forest and now resides in Charlotte.

His grandfather, the late James F. Webb of Greenville, was a graduate of South Edgecombe High School. There was a bench placed in honor of Mr. Webb, an avid golfer, at Greenville Country Club.

Simpson played Greenville and Brook Valley when he was growing up. He has an uncle, Rick Webb, who plays at Greenville.