The first step toward rebuilding a struggling program — before the first game is played or the first new recruit signed — is for the new coach to convince those already in the program to buy into what he’s selling. In the case of new East Carolina football coach Mike Houston, that process is already well underway. Granted, the bar has been set extremely low after three … [Read more...]

Of all the criticisms that were aimed at former athletic director Jeff Compher — and there were plenty of them, to be sure — the loudest and most frequent usually dealt with his inability to connect with East Carolina's passionate fan base. It’s safe to say he wasn’t much of a people person, especially when compared to his predecessor Terry Holland. Compher’s disconnect … [Read more...]

There are several conclusions can be taken away from East Carolina’s 76-65 loss at American Athletic Conference favorite Central Florida on Sunday. First and foremost is the fact that the Pirates’ young star Jayden Gardner is an elite talent and as new coach Joe Dooley observed after last week’s home upset of Cincinnati, “a guy to build around.” The stocky 6-foot-6 … [Read more...]

Every great building project needs a solid foundation. Otherwise the structure on top won’t last, no matter how architecturally sound it might be. For the long-suffering East Carolina basketball program, the first few blocks of that foundation were put down in April when Joe Dooley was brought back as coach to continue the job he didn’t get the chance to finish two decades … [Read more...]

It was all but inevitable, given the immediate reaction of Virginia Tech athletic director Whit Babcock, that the Hokies would eventually cancel their future football dates at East Carolina as retaliation for the Pirates choosing the safety of their players over their scheduled game in Blacksburg last September. Last week, just three days before Christmas, Babcock finally … [Read more...]