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East Carolina to promote interim head coach Blake Harrell to full time HC

IMG_6598by:Nick Kosko•11/25/24•

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East Carolina is planning to promote interim coach Blake Harrell to head coach, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. On3’s Pete Nakos confirmed the move.

“Sources: East Carolina is planning to promote interim coach Blake Harrell to be the school’s next coach,” Thamel wrote on Twitter. “ECU’s board still needs to meet to formally approve a contract for Harrell. That’s expected to be called in the upcoming days.”

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This comes on the heels of firing Mike Houston. Harrell’s been with the program since 2020 as the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach.

He began his coaching career in 2001 with Western Carolina, his alma mater. Over numerous high school and college stops, Harrell established himself as a solid defensive mind.

As interim head coach in 2024, he is 4-0 with the Pirates since October 20th. After the team’s 3-4 start, ECU is 7-4 ahead of the season finale against Navy at home on Black Friday.

Blake Harrell to be promoted to full time East Carolina coach

Harrell can officially begin the new era of Pirates football with this news. He can also bring win No. 8 to the team in 2024 and focus on bowl prep.

Houston’s contract was set to run through 2026, earning $2.3 million per season. East Carolina athletic director Jon Gilbert signed Houston to a new five-year contract, adding three additional years to the original agreement, back in 2021.

Houston took over a true rebuild, and went 4-8 in 2019 and 3-6 in 2020 to begin his tenure. In 2021, the Pirates took a major step forward, going 7-5 and making the Military Bowl, which was later canceled. ECU then improved even more in 2022, going 8-5 and winning the Birmingham Bowl over Coastal Carolina. Harrell was a key part to his staff.

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Houston’s tenure at East Carolina will forever be remembered by his struggles against other North Carolina schools. After the loss to Charlotte in Week 6, Houston fell to 0-7 against in-state FBS opponents; 34-6 at NC State (2019), 33-19 vs. Appalachian State (2021), 21-20 vs. NC State (2022), 43-28 at Appalachian State (2023), 10-7 vs. Charlotte (2023), 21-19 vs. Appalachian State (2024) and 55-24 at Charlotte (2024).

Overall, Houston was 27-38 in his six seasons in Greenville. That includes a 15-28 record in AAC play. Now, it’s Harrell’s time to take the program into a new direction.