View from the East Friday, January 20, 2012 By Al Myatt

McNeill continues to make adjustments

By Al Myatt
©2012 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.

One of the most valuable traits of a coach is the ability to handle situations and make good adjustments. Ruffin McNeill, who reaches his second anniversary as head coach of the East Carolina football program tomorrow, has shown on numerous occasions that he possesses those qualities, most recently in adding the vast experience of Kirk Doll, a fellow Pirate football alumnus, and Pat Washington, who played quarterback for ECU hall of famer Pat Dye at Auburn, to his coaching staff.

McNeill became a viable candidate for the Pirates vacancy at the conclusion of the 2009 season when he became interim head coach at Texas Tech, following the dismissal of Mike Leach, and guided the Red Raiders to a 41-31 win over Michigan State in the Alamo Bowl. His resume backed that successful night as the man in charge with decades as a capable assistant and coordinator.

McNeill will soon announce his third recruiting class and it's shaping up to be a strong one. One of the silver linings to missing a bowl at the conclusion of the 2011 season is that it has allowed the Pirate staff to go full tilt on recruiting since the season ended on Nov. 26.

McNeill's first recruiting class had a notable absence as quarterback Dominique Davis opted not to follow through on a commitment to Skip Holtz's staff on signing day. McNeill quickly went after Davis and brought him in for two more-than-serviceable seasons as the program converted to a pass-oriented offense.

It should be noted that Holtz's offensive personnel was geared to more of a ball control scheme than the "Air Raid" attack that McNeill and offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley have installed at ECU. The Pirates are still in a transitional phase in terms of bringing in personnel that fits that system, specifically smaller, more agile offensive linemen who can pass block and keep up with the desired high tempo from a physical conditioning standpoint.

The summer after McNeill became head coach he had to dismiss an assistant for improper involvement in offseason workouts. The situation was reported to the NCAA. McNeill shifted Clay McGuire to special teams coordinator and brought Duane Price on staff to fill the vacancy.

After his first season at the ECU helm produced a 6-7 season and a fifth straight bowl trip for the program it was readily apparent that defensive deficiencies had to be addressed. McNeill and staff revised the scheme from a three-man front to a 4-3 and aggressively sought some junior college talent to make an immediate impact. The Pirates went from allowing 478.77 yards per game in 2010, which was 120th and last in the Football Bowl Subdivision to yielding 376.44 yards per game in 2011. That's over a football field of difference and ECU moved up to 56th nationally in the NCAA's FBS total defensive statistics this past season.

McNeill has conveyed the message that he cares about his players but he will discipline them when necessary. When corner Emanuel Davis and receiver Michael Bowman were arrested for a drinking episode downtown last summer, McNeill suspended them for the season opener against South Carolina.

"I love all of our kids but I love the team and East Carolina more," McNeill said at the time. " ... I hold our team to a high standard. It's not one way for one person and another way for another person. We're going to gather information whenever an incident happens. We'll take a decisive, disciplined and consistent approach and we keep moving on. Those young men have accepted responsibility. They're in the midst of doing all those things. I love 'em and I'll welcome them back once everything is done."

McNeill has the players' respect. The ECU coach spoke highly of Davis after a 38-31 win over Central Florida on Senior Night.

"He's done a great job with me," said the Pirates coach. "Some deals happen but I'm very proud of Emanuel and how he's been a leader for me. He's done whatever I've asked him to do. He said one thing when he hugged me tonight. 'Thank you.' I go, 'Hey, thank you more.' "

When it comes to making adjustments, one of the biggest is McNeill's own weight loss program. Hip problems and an unchecked appetite caused him to balloon to nearly 400 pounds in his first season back on the ECU sideline. That was more than double his playing weight. But McNeill and his team of Greenville-based medical personnel made the adjustments — weight loss surgery followed by a hip replacement. McNeill has shed over 130 pounds. He looks like a new man and says he feels like one, too.

Leach, who indirectly put the wheels in motion for McNeill to get the ECU job, was the catalyst for McNeill's most recent round of adjustments. Leach came out of his coaching exile to take the job at Washington State. McGuire and Dennis Simmons soon left the ECU staff to join Leach with the Cougars.

McNeill combed over candidates and added Doll and Washington, who have each been on BCS national championship staffs during lengthy careers as assistants.

The case could certainly be made that the ECU staff got stronger, no question in terms of experience, with the recent hires.

McNeill also brought in Brian Overton, who has strong Eastern North Carolina connections, to fill the director of football operations position.

Situations will continue to arise that will require McNeill's handling. The reassuring aspect of the process is that the program often appears better off after he gets involved in the solution.

Creech happy for Doll, Pirates

When McNeill brought Doll back aboard the Pirate ship as running backs coach and special teams coordinator, Jimmy Creech was very pleased. Creech, who is entering his second year as Executive President of the Pirate Club, and Doll were among nine seniors on ECU's Southern Conference championship team in 1972.

Creech, his son, David, and former Pirates teammate, Billy Tart, were guests of Doll in New Orleans at the conclusion of the 2003 season when Doll was on the LSU staff and the Tigers, then coached by Nick Saban, took the BCS title with a 21-14 win over Oklahoma. They also were on hand for a 27-13 Denver win over New England in the playoffs following the 2005 season when Doll was a Broncos assistant.

"Kirk and I went to dinner recently," Creech said. "He came here to help take East Carolina to the next level. He's had a lot of success and expects the program to win. He's a solid person with impeccable character."

Creech recalled that Doll came to ECU as a junior college transfer, playing defensive end as a junior and moving to defensive tackle as a senior.

"He's back where he wants to be, which is different from a lot of coaches we've had who might be at East Carolina until they can go somewhere else," Creech said. "This is where he wants to retire."

Hoops eyes Houston

The first leg of ECU's basketball swing through the Lone Star state produced a 70-56 loss at Texas-El Paso on Wednesday night, dropping the Pirates to 0-4 in Conference USA.

A 3-pointer by Shamarr Bowden did give ECU its first lead in league play this season at 7-6 with 17:12 left in the first half as the Pirates avoided another bad start against a C-USA opponent. Threes by Miguel Paul and Paris Roberts-Campbell produced second half leads for ECU.

UTEP closed with a decisive 18-6 run in a game that featured dominance in a couple of statistical categories by the Miners. The hosts held a 39-19 rebounding advantage and were 18 of 21 at the free throw line while the Pirates were two for three.

ECU's seven turnovers were certainly within an acceptable range.

The Pirates are in Houston today preparing for an 8 p.m. game with the Cougars on Saturday.

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PAGE UPDATED 01/20/12 03:09 AM.