The East Carolina Pirates are playing under interim head coach Blake Harrell after head coach Mike Houston was fired following a 45-28 loss to Army last month. Harrell, the defensive coordinator along with his interim tag, led the Pirates to a win over Temple on Oct. 26 in his first game at the helm. East Carolina has a 4-4 record heading into its final four games of the season, needing two wins to become eligible for the postseason. More importantly, the Pirates are trying to nail down their next ECU football head coach.
They posted back-to-back winning seasons in 2021 and 2022 before going 2-10 last year and putting Houston on the hot seat heading into this season. The Pirates have had nine winning seasons, seven losing seasons and one 6-6 campaign since joining Conference USA, so they will expect to contend for conference titles under their next head coach. 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. He was a walk-on quarterback at East Carolina from 2005-08 before beginning his coaching career, making stops at South Florida and Louisiana Tech. He took a step forward when he became the quarterbacks coach under Brian Kelly at LSU before being promoted to offensive coordinator this season.
The Tigers are currently in the mix for a spot in the College Football Playoff, which has improved Sloan's resume even more. He is one of the youngest candidates on the hot board for this job, giving him a potentially higher upside than other options. Sloan has also been the lead recruiter for multiple elite recruits that LSU has landed in the last few years, and his East Carolina ties make him a name to consider for this job. 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.
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