The ECU program experienced a turnaround, going 7-5 and earning a bowl bid in 2021. The Pirates were 8-5 with a bowl win in 2022.
“Dale Steele is one of the most incredible human beings that I’ve ever known,” said Houston, now a defensive advisor at Clemson, on Sunday. “Just a kind-hearted, consummate professional and hard worker.
“Obviously, a very, very knowledgeable, experienced coach, but just a genuinely awesome human being. My wife, Amanda, and I, our hearts have broken over this past week for his wife, Pam, their daughters, his family and Kevin (Steele), his brother.
“Just a tough situation, but we know that Dale’s in a much better place today than he has been for the past five years. And that’s what brings everyone peace.
“Dale was awesome. At James Madison, he was kind of my DFO, director of football operations and kind of almost like chief of staff before there was such a thing.
“He helped me kind of run all the administrative stuff and manage the staff and manage the support staff, travel, all the things for the players. He just did a lot of things, wore a lot of hats.”
JMU won, 27-17, in the FCS semifinals at North Dakota State in 2016. The Bison had won five straight FCS titles.
“It was the first game that they had lost at home in the playoffs in school history,” Houston said. “Great night, great memory. Dale was obviously a big part of that staff, that season and putting that together.”
Return to ECU
Steele was on Ruffin McNeill’s staff for three years beginning in 2013 as director of football administration.
Steele’s experience at ECU served well when Houston initiated a rebuilding effort.
“When I came to East Carolina, Dale was critical there because of his knowledge of the university and the working system of the relationship between campus, the football program and athletics,” Houston said. “He was a great resource that really helped for the transition because obviously when we got to East Carolina, things were not good at all.
“It was really a bad situation and there’s a lot of things that we had to fix. Dale was a big part of getting things fixed. It was a tall task, but he was a big part of helping us turn everything around.”
Family perspective
Triton High School football coach Ben Penny was Steele’s son-in-law.
“Coach Steele truly put people first,” Penny said. “Whether he was advocating for his coaching staff and players or turning off the game to focus entirely on his family, he led with his heart and never worried about anyone’s judgment.”
Steele was married to his high school sweetheart, Pam, for 52 years. The couple had two daughters and two granddaughters.
Houston, family
Houston was relieved of his duties at ECU the day after a 45-28 loss at Army on Oct. 19, 2024.
The Pirates were 3-4 at that point.
“The game changed,” Houston said. “The landscape of college football changed and everybody had to adapt. Some adapted better than others institutionally. That’s probably all that needs to be said about that.”
ECU has gone 14-5 under Blake Harrell, a Houston hire as defensive coordinator, since the coaching change.
“Obviously, things are better today than they were then,” Houston said. “At the end of the day, you’ve got to stay ahead of that stuff. That’s something that everybody had to learn a hard lesson.
“We were in the middle of a very positive season and for whatever reason, we weren’t able to finish it. That’s the disappointing piece.
“We had the right coaches, we had the right players, and that’s really disappointing. But anyway, that’s water under the bridge.
“I’m a firm believer that God has a plan for all of us. And his plan for me was to transition from there. My family and I are in a much better place today. We’re just thankful for all the blessings that we have.”
Houston gets to watch his sons play scholastic athletics.
“That’s been a positive with the boys,” he said. “At their age, you only go through that situation once.
“Having two teenagers, I’ve been able to see them play a lot. The coach (Dabo Swinney) is awesome with me, letting me go see my boys play on their game nights. That’s been very positive.”
Owen Houston is a senior at Daniel High School. Reid is an eighth-grader at Edwards Middle School.
“They both have transitioned well and they’re a part of really good athletic programs here,” Houston said.
Houston’s responsibilities
The former Pirates coach has two areas of focus.
“I’m working with the defense and the special teams,” Houston said. “I help Coach (Tom) Allen, defensive coordinator. I’m involved with him with weekly game planning and putting everything together. I’m involved a lot with overseeing the secondary and making sure that everything’s running smoothly there.
“Then very involved with special teams with a variety of those units.”
Supportive father-in-law
Steele attended many Triton games. He and Penny often talked football.
“I was a tad bit stubborn and didn’t ask for as much help as I should have,” Penny said. “I do regret that, but we talked a lot. He has given me so much material and many books.
“Coach would read books and create notes, his own Cliff Notes, so to speak. I have several pages of notes from clinics and books that have been great resources.”
Influences
Steele served on staffs at Ball State, Wisconsin, Tulane, Wichita State, Kansas State, Baylor, East Tennessee State and Elon, in addition to James Madison and East Carolina.
“Steve Logan, Bill Lewis, Dave McClain (Ball State), Nick Saban and Bill Walsh were his biggest influences,” Penny said. “Of course, his brother (Kevin), two peas in a pod.”
Dale Steele was on younger brother Kevin’s staff at Baylor. Kevin Steele has the distinction of having been defensive coordinator at Auburn and Alabama during his career.
Penny said former defensive coordinator at JMU and ECU, Bob Trott, was a friend to Steele to the end.
“Bob Trott was his best friend,” Penny said. “He was with him step by step through his cancer journey. He literally rode shotgun through it all.”
Steele speaks out
Steele normally was reserved in his manner.
Triton made a playoff run in 2022 that included road wins over C.B. Aycock, Wilson Hunt and Jacksonville.
The Hawks lost in the Eastern 3-A semifinals, 42-7, at Northern Nash as the Knights scored 28 points in the fourth quarter.
“He gave their athletic director a mouth full when they ran the score up in the final five minutes after we had subbed all of our seniors out,” Penny said.
Background
Steele was born on Aug. 17, 1955, in York, AL. He played football and wrestled for three years at Autauga County High School in Prattville, AL, which was later renamed Prattville High. His dad, Andrew Martin “Pete” Steele, was a former football coach who was principal at Autauga.
After Dale Steele graduated, the family moved to Dillon, SC, where Kevin Steele graduated high school. Kevin Steele went on to play at Furman and Tennessee.
Dale Steele walked on at the University of South Carolina where he was an offensive lineman, 1973-74.
His first coaching job was as an assistant at A.C. Flora High School in Columbia, SC, in 1976. He worked as a graduate assistant at Ball State in 1977.
The Campbell bond
Steele always appreciated the opportunity he was given to restart the program at Campbell,
The Steele family made an endowment last year of $250,000 for football scholarships. Dale Steele was presented the Camels’ annual Orange Tie award in Raleigh in 2025, which annually recognizes CU’s top athletic supporter.
He was enshrined in the Campbell athletic hall of fame in 2025.
Memorials
A celebration of life service for Steele is scheduled at Butler Chapel in Buies Creek for Sat., Aug. 1, at 1 p.m.
“His unwavering faith in God and love for his family remained his ultimate strength,” said a family statement.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Steele Family Football Endowed Scholarship Fund. The mailing address is Campbell University, P.O. Box 125, Buies Creek 27506.
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