Cutcliffe offers support for Montgomery…Montgomery must reach postseason…ECU football’s defense can improve from 2017…Justice Obasohan Named To NABC Honors Court…Turner Named Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Nominee…ECU DT Walker up for national honor …Bengals place rookie Gaelin Elmore on reserve/retired list…Linval Joseph speaks out about bullying…UH’s Ed Oliver makes Maxwell, Bednarik Awards watch lists…Naval Academy athletics constructing $20 million Physical Mission Center…UNC free of NCAA issues for 1st time under AD Cunningham…Preliminary work has already begun on reconstruction of Foreman Field…Clemson using Tide loss as motivation heading into fall camp…The minors’ quirky new rule for extra innings has worked…Alex Bregman’s Homer Caps an All-Star Slugfest…‘D.C. did it right’: AL wins as All-Star Game makes powerful return to Washington Read More
Football Recruiting
Former offensive star on course to play LB at ECU
For a guy who’s been a running back for most of his high school career, Chad Stephens has developed into a pretty good linebacker. Good enough, at least, that East Carolina felt the 6-foot-2, 215-pounder from Southeast Guilford High School in Greensboro was worthy of a football scholarship offer back in April. After considering other… [ Continue Reading ]
Recent News & Features
Football Recruiting
‘Sleeper’ QB Flinn bloomed under guru tutor
The name Alex Flinn probably wasn’t familiar to even the most devoted followers of East Carolina’s football recruiting efforts when the Asheville quarterback made a verbal commitment to the Pirates on June 23rd. Flinn had quietly picked up a scholarship offer from ECU in May, but his name didn’t really pop up on the recruiting… [ Continue Reading ]
Football Recruiting
Steady courtship landed Trinity Christian lineman
Jeff Woods considers himself “a phenomenal” tight end. The East Carolina coaching staff believes Woods can also be exceptional as an offensive tackle. The Pirates made a convincing argument to Woods that transitioning to offensive line at the college level is a positive move for his football future during a recruitment that started in earnest… [ Continue Reading ]
Insights from Brett
ECU talent upgrade gaining momentum
As head coach, Scottie Montgomery bears the brunt of responsibility for East Carolina’s back-to-back 3-9 football seasons. He’s the first to acknowledge that. But as Dave Hart, the special consultant to chancellor Cecil Staton for athletics, indicated in an interview with Bonesville published last week, there are other factors besides coaching that must be addressed… [ Continue Reading ]
VIEW FROM THE EAST
Up close with Coach Connors
Jeff Connors’ office looks out on Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium at field level, which is appropriate. At this time of year, he is closer to the playing personnel that drive the program than anyone. Connors began his career at East Carolina in 1991 when the Pirates went 11-1 and defeated N.C. State 37-34 in a Peach Bowl… [ Continue Reading ]
The Bradsher Beat
Varner growing in confidence on PGA Tour
Harold Varner III wasn’t necessarily planning on playing five consecutive PGA tournaments. When he looked at his schedule he actually thought he would take the second full week in June off from traveling and competing. But then he qualified for the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, and he wasn’t about to turn down that opportunity.… [ Continue Reading ]
Football Recruiting
ECU held off UNC, UVa to land mobile tackle Everett
One look at the first play on Keziah Everett’s junior year highlight video – even though it didn’t occur at Everett’s primary position – should be enough to excite East Carolina fans about the future Pirate. Everett is a defensive tackle at Farmville Central High School, located just about 15 miles from the ECU campus.… [ Continue Reading ]
Insights from Brett: Dave Hart Q&A Part 2
Hart: Football health is key to righting the ship
It’s said that football is the front door to every college athletic program because of the attention it gets and the income it generates. If that’s the case, then East Carolina’s front door is in desperate need of repair. Some of that is already underway with the ongoing renovations that will turn Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium into… [ Continue Reading ]
VIEW FROM THE EAST
Football slate starts with nonconference challenge
East Carolina will open the 2018 season at home against North Carolina A&T, on Sept. 1, at 6 p.m., but the Aggies will not be playing their first game when they travel to Greenville. A&T, coming off a 12-0 season on the Football Championship Subdivision level that included a 21-14 win over Grambling in the… [ Continue Reading ]
The Bradsher Beat
Pirate Football 2018 by the numbers
In my newspaper days, my coworkers and I were fond of calling out, “Warning: Journalists doing math,” but the truth is numbers do find their way into my stories frequently, especially sports-related numbers. It’s hard to spend much time in sportswriting without having to dust off your middle school math skills from time to time.… [ Continue Reading ]
Football Recruiting
West Charlotte receiver sees ECU as path to NFL
Devontez Walker first talked the talk, then walked the walk when it came to playing wide receiver. Walker had shown promise at defensive back for West Charlotte’s junior varsity as a freshman during the 2015 season. But a desire to play receiver prompted Walker to make a request of the coaching staff as his sophomore… [ Continue Reading ]
Insights from Brett: Dave Hart Q&A Part 1
Dave Hart travels back to the present
East Carolina fans can be excused if they feel as though they’ve climbed into a shiny DeLorean, revved it up to 88 MPH to generate the necessary 1.21 gigawatts of energy and been transported back to 1995. With the return of Dave Hart as the de facto athletic director and the hiring of Joe Dooley… [ Continue Reading ]
View from the East
All hoops hands on deck next week
Joe Dooley has been working with the under-18 national team, but will begin to get an idea next week how his developing group of Pirates will shape up for his first season back on the East Carolina sideline. Dooley returned in early April to a program he guided to a 57-52 record from 1995-96 to… [ Continue Reading ]