Figuratively speaking, East Carolina hit both the PowerBall and MegaMillions jackpots this week with the twin hirings of athletic director Jon Gilbert and football coach Mike Houston. Just three days later, the Pirates came into an actual financial windfall with the announcement of a $20 million cash infusion into the school’s athletic budget. Ten million of those dollars … [Read more...]
News & Features
VIEW FROM THE EASTHart helps Pirate ship change tack
Dave Hart will leave East Carolina in better shape than he found it earlier this year when he returned to the program as special athletics advisor to Dr. Cecil Staton, ECU chancellor. The Pirate ship has been listing in a sea of red ink. Jeff Compher's biggest move as athletic director, the firing of Ruffin McNeill as football coach and the hiring of Scottie Montgomery as … [Read more...]
Football RecruitingBig defensive end’s long journey stops at ECU
Sometimes the toughest journeys result in the greatest reward. The road Hozey Haji-Badri traveled to a scholarship offer to play football for East Carolina certainly fits that scenario. A 6-foot-4, 270-pound defensive end from Chantilly, VA, Haji-Badri made a verbal commitment to the ECU recruiting Class of 2019 on November 19 after also considering offers from Buffalo, … [Read more...]
From the Anchor DeskHouston takes command with authority
Mike Houston looks like he was chiseled into a likeness of Knute Rockne. Early word is that his pregame speeches are even better than 'Win one for the Gipper.’ Houston agreed to become East Carolina’s 22nd football coach on Sunday afternoon. By Monday he was in Greenville meeting with the Pirate football team and selected ECU donors. Earlier Monday ECU had introduced Jon … [Read more...]
The Bradsher BeatPirate Nation begins trek out of ‘wilderness’
East Carolina Board of Trustees Chairman Kieran Shanahan described the place the Pirate faithful have been inhabiting this fall as “the wilderness,” and that seems accurate if that wilderness is also dry and sweltering like a desert. Fans in the Pirate Nation have been trudging along, thirsty and scorched, suffering a glut of disappointments, wondering if what looks like a … [Read more...]