Bonesville: The Authoritative Independent Voice of East Carolina

News & Features from ECU, the AAC and Beyond

  • Home
  • News & Features
  • Recruiting
  • Photos
  • Audio
  • Roundup
  • Comments
  • Legacy Archives

• ECU 2023 Football Schedule
• ECU 2022-23 Hoops Schedule
• ECU 2023 Baseball Schedule

— Recruiting Thumbnails —
Football: 2023 • Hoops: 2023-24

The Bradsher Beat
Dooley do-over brings rare hope to Pirate fans

April 5, 2018 By Bethany Bradsher 7 Comments

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin

It was April 7, 2008, hours after Kansas had captured its first national title in twenty years, and as the fever pitch died down Jayhawks head coach Bill Self had a memorable conversation with his assistant coach Joe Dooley, who had come to KU when Self took over five years earlier.

“Coach,” Dooley said to his boss, “We’ve got to find a way to do this again.”

Joe Dooley (fgcuathletics.com)

As Dooley enjoyed the view from the apex of his sport, he was just over a decade removed from his career low point, when he was fired as the head coach at East Carolina after compiling a 57-52 record in five seasons.

In a way that is characteristic of the best in the profession, Dooley responded to that blow by licking his wounds briefly and then searching for an assistant coaching post. He removed himself as far from Eastern North Carolina as possible, assisting first at New Mexico for three seasons and then at Wyoming for one before Self, who Dooley had met on the recruiting trail when Self was at Tulsa, came calling with an opportunity to work at one of college basketball’s premier programs.

On Thursday Dooley, who spent ten years at Kansas before leading Florida Gulf Coast to five straight 21-win seasons and two NCAA appearances, will be introduced as East Carolina’s 15th basketball coach.

Of course, Dooley was also the ninth head coach, offering him that rarest of opportunities — the chance to rewrite an unhappy ending. It’s a do-over that many in the Pirate Nation have hoped for since 1999, when Dooley left town just a few months before Hurricane Floyd ravaged Eastern North Carolina.

Just as the effects of that catastrophic storm are still felt in pockets of the region today, the debris from years of basketball disappointments have piled up and left a disillusioned fan base wondering if Pirate hoops can ever rise above mediocrity and unlucky breaks.

The Pirate Nation has long looked for one big win to give them reason for hope, and they got it when Dooley, who has been the first choice of many Pirates since the search began, said yes this week. Despite the unceremonious ending to his last stint in Greenville, he is still the winningest coach in ECU Division I history.

Known as a masterful recruiter and emotional leader who has experienced the college game at every level, Dooley is older and plenty wiser than he was when he went west before the turn of the century. When he left Kansas for the top job at FGCU five years ago, Self described him as “a guy who’s unbelievably well connected … a guy with a lot of personality that’s extremely tough. He gives me more ideas than anybody that we can potentially implement to help our team.”

Starting Thursday, Dooley will unleash those ideas  — and his practiced habit of winning — on a fan base that needs it perhaps more than any other fan base in the nation.

After a circuitous path across the country and more than twenty years of triumphs and struggles, Dooley stands at a podium today in purple as a picture of a man who sees the value of a do-over. Together, he and the Pirate Nation will remove the debris from too many ECU hoops disappointments and re-imagine a world of packed Minges home games — a time when March can still stretch out as a hopeful adventure for the Pirate basketball fan.

At long last, Joe Dooley has found a way to do this again.

Related

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin

Filed Under: News & Features

Comments

  1. The Kidd says

    April 5, 2018 at 8:08 am

    Welcome back, Coach! I’m going to buy season bball tix as soon as they go on sale. And I’ve only done that once since joining the Pirate Club in 1982!

    Reply
  2. Jim Copeland says

    April 5, 2018 at 8:24 am

    Mediocre coaching is bad enough, but bad leadership at the AD level and above is program killing……Coach Dooley was fired by a poor AD and now is hired after another weak AD was let go. Finally a good administrative move for Pirate Nation.

    Reply
  3. Jim Copeland says

    April 5, 2018 at 7:50 pm

    Somebody call Skip and see if he will come back.

    Reply
    • Richard says

      April 7, 2018 at 10:17 am

      A big purple “Amen” to that. Better yet, I would love to see Steve Logan return. He ran the best football program we ever had.

      Reply
  4. FGCU fan says

    April 7, 2018 at 5:59 am

    FGCU fan here: Read in another article that for $900,000 his contract requires him to interact with the fans, university, and community–Good luck with that!!!

    Reply
  5. Richard says

    April 7, 2018 at 10:19 am

    Instead of sour grapes, why not wish him the best and be thankful for the time you had him.

    Reply
  6. Richard says

    April 7, 2018 at 10:22 am

    So thankful to see Coach Dooley coming back to ECU. I hope he does a fantastic job and we can keep him. GGOO….PPIRATES!!!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent News & Features

ECU Recruiting News
Class of 2024 starts with prized receiver

Baseball News
ECU completes sweep

Baseball News
Pirates take series with walkoff win

Baseball News
Godwin passes Godwin

VIEW FROM THE EAST
Pirates have work to do

Baseball News
Pirates nip Tribe, 6-5

Baseball News
Seahawks top No. 10 ECU

ECU Recruiting News
Late pitch lures lineman with pedigree

Baseball News
ECU takes doubleheader for series sweep

Baseball News
Pirates walk past Liberty

More News & Features

ECU Schedules

  • ECU 2021 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2020-21 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2021 Baseball Schedule

ECU Recruiting

  • Football Recruiting Class of 2021
  • Football Recruiting Class of 2020
  • Football Recruiting Class of 2019
  • Football Recruiting Class of 2018
  • Football Recruiting Class of 2017
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2021-22
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2020-21
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2019-20
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2018-19
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2017-18
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2016-17

Past Football Schedules

  • ECU 2020 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2019 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2018 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2017 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2016 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2015 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2014 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2013 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2012 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2011 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2010 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2009 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2008 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2007 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2006 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2005 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2004 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2003 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2002 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2001 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2000 Football Schedule
  • Historical Schedules

Past Basketball Schedules

  • ECU 2019-20 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2018-19 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2017-18 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2016-17 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2000-2015 Basketball Archives

Past Baseball Schedules

  • ECU 2020 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2019 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2018 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2017 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2016 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2015 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2001-2014 Baseball Archives

Recruiting Class Profiles

ECU Recruiting News
Class of 2024 starts with prized receiver

ECU Recruiting News
Late pitch lures lineman with pedigree

Recruiting Evaluation Part 2: Defense
Report card: Quality talent fills big holes

Recruiting Evaluation Part 1: Offense
Report card: Pirates reload at skill spots

ECU Recruiting News
Towering lineman Neolian still honing skills (updated)

ECU Recruiting News
More help is on the way to ECU secondary

ECU Recruiting News
Portal delivers blue chipper RaRa Dillworth

Class of 2023 Early Signing Review (UPDATED)
Pirates tap transfer portal for more talent

AAC Early Signing Review
New members dive into AAC recruiting wars

Class of 2023 Early Signing Review
First wave of recruits just the beginning

ECU Recruiting News
Brown finds way to ECU through portal

ECU Recruiting News
Transfer safety McDaniel destined for ECU

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates land coveted Spartanburg quarterback

ECU Recruiting News
Swift ECU recruit ‘in a class of his own’

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates win out for Georgia prep linebacker

ECU Recruiting News
Linebacker with pedigree charts path to ECU

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates find a gem in Palmetto State receiver

ECU Recruiting News
Official visit swayed North Mecklenburg star

ECU Recruiting News
Physical Georgia receiver poses tough matchup

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates project lineman Durant as center

ECU Recruiting News
ECU spotted potential in Conley lineman

ECU Recruiting News
ECU lands fleet-footed Georgia defensive back

ECU Recruiting News
‘Football town’ helps draw Short to Pirates

ECU Recruiting News
ECU targets edge rushers

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates aim high for interior line talent

Recent Web Roundups

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Monday, March 20, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Sunday, March 19, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Saturday, March 18, 2023

Writer Archives

  • Bonesville Staff
  • Brian Bailey
  • Sammy Batten
  • Bethany Bradsher
  • Brett Friedlander
  • Al Myatt
  • NFF
  • Greg Vacek
  • Danny Whitford

Recent Web Roundups

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Monday, March 20, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Sunday, March 19, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Saturday, March 18, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Friday, March 17, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Thursday, March 16, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Tuesday, March 14, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Monday, March 13, 2023

More Web Roundups

Copyright © 2023 Bonesville.net · Website by Seaport Webworks. · Log in · Privacy Policy