Happy New Year, Pirates fans. It’s that time of year when the calendar gets turned, the slate is wiped clean and we all get the opportunity to hit the reset button and start over anew. So as we say goodbye to a 2017 that was anything but memorable for East Carolina athletics, here are a few New Year’s resolutions for the Pirates as we look ahead to 2018: ■ Get back to … [Read more...]

When your team has suffered through back-to-back 3-9 seasons, as East Carolina has on the football field over the past two years, it’s only natural to look for something, anything, on which to place your hope for improvement in the future. For many Pirates fans, that hope is embodied in the person of Holton Ahlers. And why not? The talented young quarterback from D.H. … [Read more...]

Scottie Montgomery has received more than his share of criticism during his first two seasons as East Carolina’s football coach. After back-to-back 3-9 seasons, a high percentage of that criticism is justified. At the same time, though, there’s at least a few things for which even Montgomery’s most vocal detractors must give him credit. One is a realistic understanding … [Read more...]

There’s no reason to doubt Jeff Lebo’s explanation for abruptly resigning as East Carolina’s basketball coach last Wednesday. The man said he’s burned out, and he sure looked like it during the press conference announcing his decision to step down six games into his eighth season with the Pirates. In retrospect, maybe we should have seen it coming. “One thing about … [Read more...]

East Carolina’s 2017 football season was barely in the books Saturday before coach Scottie Montgomery began turning the page and mercifully putting it into his rearview mirror. Who could blame him? A 70-13 humiliation at the hands of Memphis and a second straight 3-9 record isn’t the most desirable way to head into what is almost certain to be a make-or-break offseason, … [Read more...]