The firing of half the league's head coaches and hiring of their replacements caused a ripple effect in football recruiting for the American Athletic Conference during the 2026 cycle. Seven of the 14 AAC teams sacked head coaches before the end of the regular season, and an eighth, UAB's TRENT DILFER, was hanging on by a thread in October before being retained for 2025. The … [Read more...]
Recruiting & Depth Chart BreakdownPirates shore up depleted defense
The area hit hardest by personnel losses this offseason in East Carolina's football program has clearly been on defense. The Pirates saw 10 prominent defenders complete their eligibility at the end of the 2024 season and 10 others exited via the transfer portal. The latter figure includes seven from the ECU secondary and three potential starters for 2025. Overall, the … [Read more...]
FOOTBALL NEWSMike Houston headed to Clemson
Clemson football boss Dabo Swinney is set to bolster his staff by bringing onboard former East Carolina head coach Mike Houston. The hiring move is intended to enhance the Tigers' defensive coaching staff, ESPN senior writer Pete Thamel tweeted on X. Houston will be working with defensive coordinator Tom Allen, who recently came to Clemson from Penn State. Bonesville had … [Read more...]
VIEW FROM THE EASTPirates preparing for second season under Harrell
Blake Harrell is in his first offseason as head football coach at East Carolina after taking on those responsibilities on Oct. 20 on an interim basis. He was named head coach in late November. With recruiting and player development, the term offseason is really misleading. Even when the Pirates are not preparing for games, there is a demanding workload. "Our guys are busy … [Read more...]
Recruiting & Depth Chart BreakdownPirates ace offensive report card
College football coaches have to react to the expected and unexpected personnel losses these days when it comes to forming their annual rosters. East Carolina had to deal with the gamut — departures via graduation, early exits to the NFL and transfer portal defections — as it constructed the recruiting Class of 2025. On offense alone, the Pirates will be missing their … [Read more...]