East Carolina Pirates football

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For current information on this topic, see 2008 East Carolina Pirates football team

East Carolina Pirates
First season	1932
Staff
Athletic director	Terry Holland
Head coach	Skip Holtz
	4th year, 20–17
Stadium
Home stadium	Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium
Stadium capacity	43,000
Stadium surface	Grass
Location	Greenville, North Carolina
League/Conference
Conference	Conference USA
Division	East
Team records
All-time record	372–347–11 (.510)
Postseason bowl record	8–6
Pageantry
Colors	Purple and Gold
Fight song	E.C. Victory
Mascot	Pirate
Marching band	The Marching Pirates
Major Rivals	NC State UNC Chapel Hill Southern Miss
Website	ecupirates.com

The East Carolina Pirates football program is a college football team that represents East Carolina University (variously "East Carolina" or "ECU"). The team is currently a member of the Conference USA, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

The Pirates have won five conference championships and eight bowl games. The Pirates have 20 All-Americans over its history. Four players have their jerseys retired.

The team was founded in Greenville, North Carolina, in 1932. The team played home games at College Stadium on the main campus from the 1949 to the 1962 season. With the exception of the 1999 Miami football game, they have played their home games at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium every year since 1963. The stadium is located south of East Carolina’s main campus near the intersection of South Charles Boulevard and 14th Street.

The coaches and administrative support is located in the Ward Sports Medicine Building, which is located adjacent to the stadium. Strength and conditioning for the players occurs in the Murphy Center, which is located in the west end zone of Dowdy-Ficklen. The Pirates scrimmages at adjoining practice facilities named the Cliff Moore Practice Facility.

[edit] Team history

[edit] 1932–1977

1933 East Carolina football team

[edit] Beatty, Mathis and Farley era

East Carolina began organized football in the fall of 1932. The first football coach in school history was Kenneth Beatty.^[1] They played under the nickname Teachers because the school was a teacher training school. The team played five game, with two in Greenville. They however did not score a point the whole season, while opponents scored a combined 187 points.^[2] The 1933 season started just as they left the 1932 season. The team lost the first four game not scoring a point. The first victory in school history came against Campbell on November 11, 1933. The final score was six points for to zero points against. The 1933 team lost their final game against Appalachian St. 14–0. Coach Beatty left after the season.^[3]

G.L. "Doc" Mathis was appointed the head coach after Coach Beatty left.^[1] Before the season, the school decided to change their nickname. The Mens Athletic Association wanted a nickname to inspire "more spirit and enthusiasm." The name was changed from the Teachers to the present Pirates.^[4] His first year, the team lost four games. But, they did win against Presbyterian Junior College and tied William & Mary.^[3] The 1935 season included three wins, which was the largest total so far in history. Coach Mathis left after the season.^[5]

Bo Farley was introduced as the third head coach. The 1936 season was the first winning season in school history. Coach Farley's team won against William & Mary, Duke Junior Varsity and Louisburg. He only stayed for one season.^[5]

[edit] Alexander, Hankner and Christenbury era

J. D. Alexander began coaching in the 1937 season. He previously was the head coach at Lincoln Memorial in Tennessee. The season started off bad, losing the first five games. But the team finished on a high note, beating both High Point and Louisburg to finish out the season. The one win in the 1938 season came against Western Carolina. The 1938 team also tied against Guilford.

O. A. Hankner coached for only one season at East Carolina. His team managed only 18 points and lost every game. The team had numerous injuries that prevent the team from winning a game.

After the disastrous 1939 season, John Christenbury was tapped as the new head coach. His 1940 team has the first winning season since the 1936 season. The team won the first four games, and lost to North Carolina St. Freshmen and High Point. The first and currently on undefeated season happened in the 1941 season. The team scored 159 points compared to allowing 20. East Carolina did not sport any teams from 1942–1945 because of World War II.

[edit] Johnson and Dole era

Coach Christenbury was killed in an explosion at Port Chicago, California on July 1, 1944. Replacing him at coach was Jim Johnson. Coach Johnson was a 16 letterman while at East Carolina. He was brought in to revitalize the athletic program that was on hiatus because of World War II. His football team went 5–3–1 in 1946. The 1947 season brought East Carolina into their first conference. The school was invited to the North State Conference. In the first year of conference play, the team had three wins compared to six losses. The next year was even more disastrous. His team did not win once. Coach Johnson left after the 1948 season.

Bill Dole became the Pirates eighth coach after Coach Johnson left. His teams went 4–5–1 in 1949. That made the third consecutive losing year for East Carolina. The 1950 season turned out better. The team tied the amount of wins from the past three years with seven. Coach Dole's last year with the Pirates was in 1951. It was another losing season 4–6. Coach Dole left East Carolina and became the head coach at Davidson.

[edit] Boone era

Jack Boone stepped in as the new head coach after Coach Dole left. During his first year, he guided the Pirates to their first bowl game ever. After a 6–3–2 regular season, the Pirates were invited to the Lion's Bowl. The team came up short to Clarion College, losing 13–6. Coach Boone lead the school to another first in the 1953 season. The football team won the North State Conference championship. The team won eight while losing two en route to this championship. For the second time ever, East Carolina went to a bowl game. The team competed against Morris Harvey College, losing 12–0.

The 1954 season would be the last winning season for four years. Over the four year span the team won 12, losing 23 and tieing twice. Coach Boone stayed at East Carolina for four more years, finally leaving after the 1961 season. He, at the time, was the longest tenued coach. He helped usher the Pirates into a conference and post-season play.

[edit] Stasavich era

The tenth head coach for the Pirates was Clarence Stasavich. He came to East Carolina after 16 years at Lenoir-Rhyne College. His team went 5–4 his first year. The Pirates went to their first bowl game in nine years in 1963. The team went 9–1 and was invited to the Eastern Bowl. They beat Northeastern, 27–6. This is the first time ever East Carolina won a bowl game. The next two years, the team again went 9–1 and was invited to the Tangerine Bowl. They won both games against Massachusetts, 14–13, in 1964 and Maine, 31–0 in 1965. Also in 1964, Coach Stasavich was named the NAIA Coach of the Year. The 1965 season also marked entering their first conference, Southern Conference, since the North State/Carolinas Conference.

Despite going 4–5–1, Coach Stasavich guided the Pirates to their first conference championship in 13 years. Even though East Carolina won eight games in 1967, they were not invited to a bowl game. The last two seasons for Coach Stasavich were losing seasons. The teams went 4–6 and 2–7.

[edit] McGee and Randle era

Mike McGee coached at East Carolina for only the 1970 season. He compiled a 3–8 record. His team recorded wins over Furman, Marshall and Davidson. He left for the 1971 season to become head coach at his alma mater, Duke. He was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1990.

Sonny Randle, an assistant coach in 1970, was tapped to take over as head coach after McGee left. His first season only saw four victories. But one victory came over instate rival, North Carolina State. The 1972 season accumulated the most wins in a season for the Pirates, since the 1965 season. The team won the Southern Conference Championship, which was the first time since the 1966 season. The only two losses of the season came against North Carolina State and North Carolina. The 1973 season was much like the 1972 season. The team again won nine games, while only losing to North Carolina State and North Carolina. They also won the conference championship. After the 1973 season, Randle left to become the head coach at his alma mater, Virginia.

[edit] Dye era

East Carolina brought in Alabama assistant, Pat Dye, as their new coach in 1974. His first season, the Pirates won seven games, while losing four. The next year, Coach Dye won even more games. The team started the season with a opening losses to North Carolina State and Appalachian State. On October 24, 1974, long time coach and administrator, Clarence Stasavich died. This one day before the Pirates beat the Tar Heels for the first time ever. Two games later, on November 8, East Carolina beat Virginia. The Cavaliers was coached by Coach Randle, the Pirates previous coach. Coach Dye brought the team to the nine win plateau again in 1976. His team also became Southern Conference Champions for the first time under his tenure. It would also be the last time the Pirates ever could become Southern Conference Champions. East Carolina left the conference after the 1976 season. The team again became independent. The team had a winning season in 1977. The Pirates won its opener again NC State, 28–23. The next game it went to Durham to play Duke. Former Pirates coach Mike McGee was still the coach. East Carolina beat the Blue Devils 17–16. The team went on to win eight, while losing three for the season.

[edit] 1978–present

[edit] Dye, Emory and Baker era

East Carolina began the 1978 season under the new Division 1-A moniker. Coach Dye guided the Pirates to a 8–3 record after the season. The team only lost to instate rivals North Carolina and North Carolina State, and Southern Mississippi. With the winning mark, ECU went to their first bowl game in 13 years. They beat Louisiana Tech in the Independence Bowl, 35–13. The 1979 season would be the last for Coach Dye at East Carolina. He moved to coach with Wyoming for a season, before moving again to Auburn. The team again had a winning season, 7–3–1, but was not invited to a bowl game.

Former player, Ed Emory became the Pirates fourteenth head coach. His first two years were lackluster, going 4–7 and 5–6. Coach Emory lead East Carolina to a Pirate first in the 1983 season. That team went 8–3, losing only to Florida State, Florida and Miami. The Pirates lost by a combined 14 points in those three losses. The team was ranked number 20 in the final AP Poll, the first time East Carolina finished ranked in the polls. The next season the team won two games while losing nine. Coach Emory was fired after the season.

Art Baker became the head coach. He previously was the head coach at Furman and the Citadel. Coach Baker never had a winning record. His best season was 1987, when his team won five, while losing six. His teams went 12–32 over four years and he was fired after the 1988 season.

[edit] Bill Lewis era

East Carolina tapped Bill Lewis as their new coach. He previously was the coach at Wyoming, but was replaced by Pat Dye in 1980. His first year, Coach Lewis won six games, including wins over Cincinnati and Virginia Tech. This was the first winning season for the Pirates since the 1983 season. The 1990 season was mediocre for the football team, going 5–6. The best winning season for East Carolina occurred in the 1991 season. After losing the opening game to Illinois, 31–38, the Pirates won every other game. Notable teams the team beat were South Carolina, Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech. For their accomplishment, the Peach Bowl invited them to play in their 1992 contest. The team played NC State and came from behind to win 37–34. The Pirate finished the season ranked number nine in the AP and Coaches Poll. After the season, Coach Lewis won the 1991 Coach-of-the-Year Award. Coach Lewis left East Carolina to become the new head coach for Georgia Tech.

[edit] Logan and Thompson era

The Pirates chose offensive coordinator Steve Logan as their seventeenth head coach. He lead East Carolina for ten seasons, from 1992–2002. The Pirates had losing seasons, for his first two years. The 1994 season was Coach Logan first winning season ever. ECU won seven games, while losing four in the regular season. The team was rewarded by being invited to the Liberty Bowl to face Illinois. The Fighting Illini shut out the Pirates 30–0. This was their first bowl game shutout since the Elks Bowl against Morris Harvey in 1954. The Pirates capitalized on the winning 1994 season and increased their win count to nine, while losing three. They lost only to Tennessee, Illinois and Cincinnati. For their victories, the Pirates were invited again to the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee. They played Stanford and won 19–13. After the bowl game victory, East Carolina was ranked number 23 in the final Coaches Poll of the year. The team again in 1996 had a winning season. They went 8–3 with wins over South Carolina, Miami and NC State. Because they were still Independent, the Pirates were left out of post-season play. For the 1997 season, the University was invited to Conference USA. This would be the football team first conference play since they left the Southern Conference in 1976. For their first two year in Conference USA, the team had a mediocre showing, going 5–6 and 6–5. The next three years were more fruitful for the Pirates. The team went to three straight bowls, losing two while winning one. After going 4–8 in 2002, the administration fired Coach Logan for a substandard season.

The next coach for the Pirates would be John Thompson. He came from Florida as their defensive coordinator. Coach Thompson accumulated three wins over two years. His team beat Army both years and Tulane his second year. Athletic Director Terry Holland fired Coach Thompson during the 2004 season.

[edit] Holtz era

East Carolina huddling together before the Virginia Tech game

Coach Holland brought in Skip Holtz to become the Pirates nineteenth and current head coach. During his first year, Coach Holtz helped turn the team around by winning five games. This was two more games won than the previous two seasons combined. His first win came during the first game in the season against Duke. During his second year, he won seven games, making East Carolina bowl-eligible for the first time since the 2001 season. The 2006 team had notable wins over Virginia, Southern Mississippi, Central Florida and North Carolina State. A loss to Rice in the last conference game of the year kept the Pirates out of the Conference USA Championship Game. For the teams winning season, the newly created Papajohns.com Bowl invited the team to play in their contest. East Carolina lost to former CUSA rival South Florida, 24–7. The 2007 team continued their winning ways. The team won seven regular season games. The team went to their second bowl game in two years. They played the Boise State in the Hawai'i Bowl. They beat the Broncos 41–38. This was the first bowl game win since the Galleryfurniture.com Bowl win against Texas Tech in 2000.

[edit] Facilities

[edit] Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium

Construction of Ficklen Stadium in 1962

Main article: Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium

The Pirates play their home games at Bagwell Field at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, North Carolina. Dr. Leo Jenkins, President of East Carolina, announced his plans to build a new stadium for the Pirates on October 7, 1961. It took a year for Dr. Jenkins to raise $283,387, even though only $200,000 was requested. The James Skinner Ficklen Memorial Stadium was dedicated on Sept. 21, 1963. The original stadium included stands on the south side, a press box and a lighting system.

Ficklen Stadium has gone through many enhancements over the years. The north side stands were built in 1968, increasing its capacity to 20,000. During 1977– 1978, seating was increased by 15,000. In 1994, the stadium was renamed Dowdy-Ficklen and roads were improved around the stadium. For the 1996– 1998 seasons, the upper deck on the north side was built and improvements were made to the press box on the south side. A new scoreboard was introduced in 1999 and a 12 foot, three ton sculpture of the Pirate was unveiled.

James Ficklen, a Greenville tobacconist, established the Ficklen Foundation, which is a financial aid foundation. Ronald and Mary Ellen Dowdy, a real estate developer in Orlando, Florida, donated a million dollars to the school. For his donation, Ficklen Stadium changed names to the current Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in 1994. Al and Debbie Bagwell of Lake Gaston, Virginia, donated a large gift to the school and the field was named Bagwell Field in their honor in 1995.

[edit] Cliff Moore Practice Facility

The Cliff Moore Practice Facility is located between Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium and Clark-LeClair Stadium on Charles Boulevard. The facilty consist of three fields, two natural and one FieldTurf. The natural fields are based on Dowdy-Ficklen field. The fields are Bermuda Tift grass with gravel and sand-based drainage. Both fields are parallel to one another and run north to south. The FieldTurf field is perpendicular to the natural grass fields. The field is 78,120 square-feet.

[edit] Murphy Center

The Murphy Center is located in the west endzone at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. It is a 52,475 square foot multi-purpose building. The building was completed in June 2002 and officially dedicated on September 13, 2002. On the ground floor is the Walter and Marie Williams Strength and Conditioning Area where athletes train. Also on the ground floor is the Robert and Virginia Maynard Lobby. On the second story is the C. Felix and Margaret Blount Harvey Banquet Hall, the Dick and Susan Jones Academic Enhancement Center and the Bill and Emily Furr Lobby. Located between Harvey Hall and the Jones Academic Enhancement Center is the sport memorabilia area. The building is named for Pete and Lynn Murphy of Rose Hill, North Carolina. The Center was built for approximately $13 million.

[edit] Ward Sports Medicine Building

The Ward Sports Medicine Building is located adacent to the Murphy Center at East Carolina. It is a three story building that was built in 1989. It is 80,283 square-feet and cost $8 million to build. On the first floor are football locker rooms and 6,000-square-foot weight room. Also on the first floor are meeting rooms for the football team. The eight rooms consist of one 107-seat team meeting room, one 55-seat unit room, and six 12 to 15 team positional rooms.

On the second floor, football and basketball offices are located here. Also, the ECU Hall of Fame is housed. In addition, classrooms for students are situated here. On the third floor, the Pirate Club has their offices. Also, the Director of Athletics Terry Holland, has his office here. Other administrative and support officials have offices here. The building is named for two alumni, Robert Allen (Bob) and Margaret Ann Cude Ward.

[edit] Rivalries

• N.C. State–ECU has played N.C. State over 17 times since 1978, making State East Carolina's second-most played opponent, along with West Virginia and Cincinnati. The school are approximately 85 miles away and are the largest (N.C. State) and third largest (East Carolina) university in the state. The series started as a yearly occurrence, from 1970–1987, but was halted after an off-field incidence in 1987. The next time the two teams played was in the 1992 Peach Bowl, when the Pirates came from behind to win 37–34. The Wolfpack's first trip to Greenville occurred in 1999, when East Carolina beat State 23–6. Beginning in the 2006 season, the Wolfpack and Pirates agreed to a five-year home-and-home series to revive the rivalry. State leads the overall series 15–10, but East Carolina has won seven out of the last twelve.
• North Carolina–East Carolina and North Carolina is the eleventh-most played series for ECU since 1978. Because both are large state school, North Carolina is second largest and East Carolina is third largest, many fans and alumni live close to one another. The series began in 1972, but the two have only played three times since 1981. Two of the last three times occurred in Greenvile, and each team one once. In 2005, both teams agreed to a five-year four game home-and-home series. Overall, UNC leads the series 2-8-1.
• Southern Miss–The Pirates have played the Golden Eagles 27 times since 1978, making them the most played opponent since then. Southern Miss joined Conference USA a year before East Carolina joined. The two have been division rivals since 2005. The two have played each other every year since 1978, excluding the 1979, 1981 and 1982 seasons. USM holds the win-loss record at 8–25.

[edit] Traditions

The football team running onto the field before a game

• Colors – The Pirates official colors are old gold and royal purple. Currently helmets are metallic purple with gold writing. Uniforms are either all purple, purple and white, or all white.
• Songs – The fight song, known as E.C. Victory, is played after every touchdown or big play. The football players sing the alma mater with the students after every home game. Before the players enter the field, the poem The Ghost on The Wind plays. After the poem, the Jimi Hendrix song Purple Haze plays while the players run onto the field. Since 2007, the song Purple and Gold by Udon Cheek plays periodically throughout the game.
• Nicknames – East Carolina football teams have had several nicknames over the years including the Teachers, Buccaneers, or EC. Originally, the sports teams were called the Teachers. In 1934, the Men's Athletic Association decided they wanted a new nickname to inspire "more spirit and enthusiasm." The Pirate was chosen, and is currently the official nickname.
• Mascots – The Pirate is the official mascot of the university. It was formally know as Pee Dee the Pirate, from its inception in 1983 until December 1985, when Chancellor Howell dropped Pee Dee from the name. It is still unofficially known as Pee Dee the Pirate by fans today. The first official mascot was Buc, a Great Dane. He was the mascot from 1958, until his death in 1961. Other mascots included Pete, a dog who was a mascot in the 1970s and a live wildcat from 1930–1931.
• Game day traditions – Many game weekend traditions occur each home football game. Each Friday is Purple and Gold Day, or Paint it Purple Fridays. Supporters of the university are encourage to wear colors and insignias of the university the day before the game. Before each game, the Pirate Walk occurs. The football players walk from Clark-LeClair Stadium to the football stadium and fans come by to show support to the team. A cannon is fired when the players run onto the field and after every score. During the intermission between the third and fourth quarter a new flag is raised. The normal jolly roger flag with a black background is lower and replaced with a No Quarter flag. The No Quarter flag is a jolly roger flag with a burgundy background, to symbolize soaked blood. Below the jolly roger are the words No Quarter.

[edit] Statistics and records

[edit] Season-by-season results

This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Pirates. For the full season-by-season results, see East Carolina Pirates football seasons.

[edit] Post season

[edit] Conference championships

East Carolina has been in a total of three conferences: North State, Southern and Conference USA. The team were the champions in the North State Conference in 1953. The Pirates won the Southern Conference three times outright, and shared the championship once. Currently, the team has not won a conference championship in Conference USA.

[edit] Bowl games

The Pirates have participated in 14 bowl games. Of the 14 games, they have won 8 and lost 6. The first 5 bowl games occurred before East Carolina went Division 1-A. The team have been to two bowl games twice: Tangerine Bowl and Liberty Bowl. East Carolina's most recent bowl game was in 2007 in the Hawai'i Bowl. East Carolina ranks 74 in the number of Division 1-A bowl games.^[10] The team ranks 67 in the number of Division 1-A bowl wins.^[11] The Pirates are tied at number 36 for current bowl streaks, with two.^[12]

[edit] Players of note

[edit] All-Americans

Every year, several publications release lists of the their ideal "team". The athletes on these lists are referred to as All-Americans. The NCAA recognizes five All-American lists. They are the Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association, Football Writers Association of America, The Sporting News, and the Walter Camp Football Foundation.^[13] Some of these also have levels such as a first team All-American, or second team, or third team. A consensus All-American is determined using a point system; three points if the player was selected for the first team, two points for the second team, and one point for the third team. East Carolina has had 19 All-Americans (three consensus) in its history.

[edit] NFL Draft

Chris Johnson, the 24th overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft

Main article: List of East Carolina Pirates in the NFL Draft

East Carolina has had 57 players picked in the draft. Their first ever selection was Roger Thrift, a blocker that was picked by the Cleveland Browns, in the 1951 NFL Draft. The team's most-recent NFL Draft selection was Chris Johnson, a running back that was picked by the Tennessee Titans, in the 2008 NFL Draft.

[edit] Retired numbers

East Carolina have retired four jerseys for their football team. Two players died while on the team, Robert Farris and Norman Swindell, and the two other players, James Speight and Roger Thrift, set record while playing for the Pirates. Robert Farris wore jersey number 16. Norman Swindell wore jersey number 18. James Speight wore jersey number 29. Roger Thrift wore jersey number 36.

[edit] Robert Farris

Robert Farris, number 16, was a player from Falls Church, Virginia who participated in football from 19xx–19xx. He was a kicker for the Pirates. Farris died in an automobile accident while driving back to Greenville to start the 1967 football season.

[edit] Norman Swindell

Norman Swindell, number 18, was a player from New Bern, North Carolina who participated in football from 19xx–19xx. He was a blocking back and was voted the most valuable player on the 1965 team. Swindell drowned during Christmas break near his house after the 1965 season.

[edit] James Speight

James Speight, number 29, was a player from Greenville, North Carolina who participated in football from 19xx–19xx. He was a running back and was voted the most valuable player on the 1957 and 1959 teams. Speight held the school record for most points in a game, 26, and rushed over 2,700 yards over his career.

[edit] Roger Thrift

Roger Thrift, number 36, was a player from New Bern, North Carolina who participated in football from 19xx–19xx. He was a quarterback and earned all-conference, all-state, and honorable mention Little All-America for the 1949 and 1950 seasons

[edit] Coaches of note

Current head coach, Skip Holtz

[edit] Head coaches

Main article: List of East Carolina Pirates head football coaches

There have been 19 head coaches of the Pirates. Steve Logan is the all-time leader in games coached, years coached, and wins, while John Christenbury leads all coaches in winning percentage with 0.867. O. A. Hankner is statistically the worst coach the Pirates have had in terms of winning percentage, with .000. Kenneth Beatty was the first coach in 1932 and Skip Holtz is the current coach.

[edit] Current staff

There are currently 17 members on the coaching staff. Three administrative assistants are also included. Skip Holtz is the current coach. Three members, Robinson, Smith and Coyle, graduated from East Carolina. Three members also graduated from Notre Dame. Steve Shankweiler has been with the Pirates the longest. He is currently in his fourth year for this tenue, but 14th overall.

[edit] External links

• Pirate Football by the Decade
• Bowl History and Stats
• Pirate Football Schedule 2008

[edit] References