Livescore
East Carolina has only played in two bowl games since moving to the American Athletic Conference (AAC) in 2014. The Pirates played in the Birmingham Bowl in their first season after leaving Conference USA, but since, their only bowl appearance was the Birmingham Bowl in the 2022 season under head coach Mike Houston. If they rally to make a bowl this year, it will be with a new head coach after Houston was fired in his sixth season in the program following a 45-28 loss to Army on October 13.
The defeat capped back-to-back conference losses by a combined 38 points, their worst back-to-back showing in conference contests since 2022. East Carolina responded last week with a 56-34 victory over Temple under defensive coordinator/interim head coach Blake Harrell to improve to 4-4 this season, so hope isn’t lost on a bowl appearance this year. However, the offseason will be filled with questions about who the new leader of the East Carolina football program will be. If you love the Pirates, or just want to know who will call the shots for ECU football in the future, be sure to see what the proven team of insiders are saying at HoistTheColours, the 247Sports affiliate that covers East Carolina.
HoistTheColours’ ECU insiders are providing on-the-ground updates on every development surrounding Houston’s firing and the future of the ECU football program, including insights from Stephen Igoe, who has deep-rooted ties inside and around the ECU community, as well as analysis from national analysts such as Brad Crawford. Get all the inside scoop on the football program, plus VIP intel on ECU football, basketball, recruiting and more, as well as access to the Crow’s Nest VIP forum, where you can connect with other ECU fans and insiders.
And right now, HoistTheColours is offering 50% off annual subscriptions*, so now is the time to sign up. The team at HoistTheColours already has a list out of several potential candidates and there are some surprising names on the list. Head to HoistTheColours now to see them all.
Top East Carolina football coach candidates
One name the staff has identified as a potential target is LSU offensive coordinator Joe Sloan. The chance to hire a former player can be an attractive opportunity for a school, in part because who can convince someone to join a program better than someone who played there himself and can share the reasons why he picked the school when he was in their situation? Sloan made the team as a walk-on and was a backup for his tenure at ECU, but he stayed with the program all four years, showing loyalty he can try to instill in the players he coaches.
Brian Kelly quickly hired Sloan as his quarterback coach from Louisiana Tech after leaving Notre Dame to become the head coach at LSU. Although Kelly comes from a defensive background, he’s been surrounded by top offenses at multiple different schools and Sloan’s had the ability to learn under him what it takes to run a program. Sloan, 37, would be youthful energy to the program as a younger head coach by college football standards and that could be the boost ECU needs after going 2-10 in 2023. See more candidates at HoistTheColours.
How to get insider ECU coaching staff search updates
The rest of the list includes several other coaches with ties to ECU, including an NFL assistant and another program legend. You can only see who they are at HoistTheColours.
Who are the top names in the ECU football coaching search, and what program legend could return? Go to HoistTheColours to see their ECU coaching hot board and more, all from a team of ECU and college football insiders, and find out.
And reminder, HoistTheColours is offering 50% off an annual VIP membership as a coaching search special, so subscribe now before it’s too late.
*Terms: This offer is only available for new members who sign up for an annual subscription to HoistTheColours. After the first year, subscription will re-bill on an annual basis at the regular rate. 247Sports.com reserves the right to alter or cancel this promotion at any time. Please write support@247sports.com with any questions you may have.
Read the full article here
Discussion about this post