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

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

From the Anchor Desk
Stability setting in after ECU’s year of upheaval

January 1, 2019 By Brian Bailey Leave a Comment

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin

What a difference a year makes at East Carolina University.

Compher exits for Jon Gilbert’s arrival. Montgomery exits for Mike Houston’s arrival.

Lebo exits for Joe Dooley’s arrival. Macy exits for Chad Killinger’s short interim stay, leading to Nicole Mealing’s new role as acting women’s coach.

You had better not blink or you’ll certainly miss something.

Mike Houston was introduced as ECU’s new football coach at a news conference on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018 (ECU Media Relations photo)

All of Eastern North Carolina seems energized by the change in football. Mike Houston has won everywhere he has been. Most of those that I’ve talked to in Pirate Nation feel like he’ll win here as well.

It’s the complete opposite of the apathy that was building in Scottie Montgomery’s second and third year at ECU. All of a sudden Pirate fans were finding something else to do on Saturday afternoons. Ticket sales plummeted. ECU football was dying.

Houston hasn’t won a game yet, but he’s got fans talking about Pirate football again. Everywhere I go I see the interest growing. People come up to me in restaurants, at the grocery store, at a basketball game with the same basic message. That message is that they are certainly looking forward to the football season.

Hope is back at ECU for football.

Much of that hope will once again fall on the shoulders of former D.H. Conley quarterback Holton Ahlers. Ahlers was the ONLY hope in 2018. Hopefully the team around him will be good enough to propel this team back to winning football.

Jon Gilbert was named as the new ECU Director of Athletics in December. Gilbert brings calmness to the athletics department. I have yet to meet some of his new hires but I look forward to that early in 2019.

While 2018 had plenty of challenges for East Carolina, there were also things to celebrate.

I was fortunate enough to be with the ECU baseball team in Clearwater, Florida, as the Pirates won the 2018 American Athletic Conference championship. The weather turned the tournament into a pitching nightmare for the league’s coaches. The Pirates showed heart and determination in winning the AAC title for the second time in Cliff Godwin’s four seasons as the Pirate coach.

That championship and the NCAA regional hosting role for the Pirate baseball team were by far the highlights of the year for me.

Seeing Clark-LeClair Stadium packed for the postseason was really special. All of Greenville was buzzing for baseball. The weather didn’t cooperate and the Pirates didn’t win, but still the foundation for future postseason success was laid.

Hopefully things will slow down a little in 2019 at East Carolina.

Here’s hoping Coach Dooley can get a few wins in the American this winter. It won’t be easy in this first season. Give Dooley time and I think we’ll finally see some winning basketball at Minges Coliseum.

In baseball, East Carolina is the preseason pick to win the American Athletic Conference. Coach Godwin has already put the word out for his team to “ignore the noise.” The Pirates will have a target on their back for sure, but hosting an NCAA regional will be the goal again in 2019.

Speaking of goals, I would think that Mike Houston’s goal in his first year is at least six wins. Houston has been successful at every stop he’s made. I’m not saying that Houston and the Pirates can win ten games this coming season, but I really believe the first Pirate team of the Houston era can hit the six-win mark and finally get ECU back in the postseason.

Once again it has been a real privilege this year to write for Bonesville. I look forward to the year ahead which will be my 35th at WNCT-TV.

Happy New Year Pirate Nation! Here’s to a great year in 2019.

HOKIES’ TANTRUM MAY ULTIMATELY BENEFIT ECU
GARDNER LEADS PIRATES PAST A&T
NEW STAFF HELD ITS GROUND IN EARLY SIGNING EFFORT
WORKMAN LEAVING HIS STAMP ON ECUS CULTURE

Related

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin

Filed Under: News & Features

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Recent News & Features

VIEW FROM THE EAST: FAU
The new American

Basketball News
Pirates rally past Tulsa to snap losing streak

ECU Recruiting News
Portal delivers blue chipper RaRa Dillworth

VIEW FROM THE EAST: CHARLOTTE
The new American

Basketball News
Owls pull away from ECU in second half

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

Basketball News
Small matter costly in ECU loss

VIEW FROM THE EAST
The new American

Basketball News
Bearcats beat ECU from long range

Basketball News
Memphis run tops ECU

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
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

ECU Recruiting News
Well stocked Pirates enter fray for O-linemen

ECU Recruiting News
ECU faces uphill battle in hunt for tight ends

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates cast wide net for wide receivers

ECU Recruiting News
Loaded Pirates still courting running backs

ECU Recruiting News
ECU targets quarterbacks of the future

AAC Football Recruiting News
Transfer portal reshaping AAC football programs

Recent Web Roundups

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Thursday, January 26, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Wednesday, January 25, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Monday, January 23, 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
Thursday, January 26, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Wednesday, January 25, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Monday, January 23, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Saturday, January 21, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Wednesday, January 18, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Monday, January 16, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Sunday, January 15, 2023

More Web Roundups

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