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East Carolina Chancellor Bill Muse wasn't kidding when he
said newly-hired football coach John Thompson was filled with "infectious
enthusiasm."
That much was abundantly clear when Thompson, a 21-year
assistant with a reputation for developing hyperactive defensive units, made
his inaugural Pirate address last Friday.
Now the question remains whether Thompson's energy and charisma will
manifest into championships, something he pledged to bring East Carolina,
much to the delight of the purple-clad fans in attendance.
"We want to win championships," he said. "We want to win a
lot of championships."
That sales pitch helped win Thompson his first head coaching job, not to
mention winning over a fan base that may have initially been lukewarm about
his hiring.
By and large, Thompson was considered a dark horse and
relative unknown, with most of the buzz surrounding a former Pirates player
— Kirk Doll — and an aggressive recruiter who helped Chuck Amato build a
solid program in West Raleigh — Doc Holliday.
Despite any head scratching that may have taken place when
both Doll and Holliday were passed over, it didn't take long for Thompson to
earn the public's affection.
The challenge now will be to secure it for the long haul,
and that will be a formidable task, even for a man of Thompson's charm and
appeal. Personality and vision will get you only so far in coaching, a
profession in which tenure is dictated primarily by the scoreboard.
There's no denying the new Pirates coach says the right
things and his immediate plans appear to be on target. Building a staff and
recruiting are priority items on Thompson's agenda, but he has noted that he
must first connect with the players who are already in place — a vital
process that by its very nature will be delicate, considering the respect
and affection with which the players regarded former Pirates coach Steve
Logan.
On the up side, Thompson doesn't seem the type who gels only
with players he recruits. After all, he spent just one season at Florida but
managed to build close relationships with Steve Spurrier's holdovers.
Next, he must haul in a staff that is not only talented but works together
cohesively. Even though coaches rely heavily on the good ole boy system,
reeling in a conglomerate of buddies isn't always the best solution.
Among the promises he made Friday, Thompson vowed to secure
a "big-time" staff with "big-time" recruiters.
Then comes recruiting, which is perhaps the area of greatest
concern. East Carolina isn't on the best of terms with the North Carolina
high schools following the Friday night debacle.
It might be too much to ask someone unfamiliar with the
landscape to calm those waters. Then again, Thompson has no shortage of
energy, so there may be enough in the tank to ride out the storm until olive
branches are extended to calm the seas.
Bridging those gaps are an absolute must for success at East Carolina, which
has cultivated long-term ties to in-state high schools to provide the
backbone of its recruiting crops.
"We want to look here and make sure that we cover every stone here in this
area first," Thompson said. "And then go wherever we need to be to get the
best players for this football team and this family."
If Thompson can do that, he may deliver a conference title
sooner than expected. Only time will tell, but judging from his first day,
he's off to a pretty good start.
Staff rumors
High on Thompson's immediate agenda is the hiring of his
staff. The new coach said Friday there hasn't been a shortage of interest in
joining the Pirates program.
"There are some big-time coaches at some big-time places
that want to come and join our family," he said. "We will build a tremendous
staff of guys with integrity, guys that will get out in the community, guys
that will get out and build relationships with high schools and high school
coaches throughout North Carolina, the Tidewater area, Georgia, Florida,
across the country."
Thompson didn't rule out retaining members of Steve Logan's
staff and noted that Jerry McManus has done a commendable job keeping the
communication lines open with potential recruits while Muse searched for the
new coach.
Offensive line coach Steve Shankweiler and recruiting
coordinator Terry Tilghman are also believed to have legitimate shots of
keeping their offices.
Other staffing rumors include the possibility that Thompson
could secure the services of Southern Miss defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix,
who would run the defense for East Carolina. Thompson recruited Nix when he
was at Southern Miss and the two have similar defensive approaches.
One drawback could be the health of Nix's brother, Derrick,
the Golden Eagles running back who suffers from a kidney ailment.
There are also rumblings that Thompson may peruse the
professional ranks for his offensive coordinator, possibly even snaring one
of Spurrier's offensive assistants in the nation's capital. The name being
tossed around is Redskins tight ends coach Lawson Holland, who has North
Carolina ties.
Holland, who followed Spurrier from Florida to Washington,
was the head coach at Douglas Byrd High School in 1978 and spent time as an
offensive assistant on staffs at North Carolina (1986-'87) and Wake Forest
('88-'91).
Redskins quarterbacks coach Noah Brindise is also rumored to
be in the running for a position on Thompson's staff. Brindise was a part of
Spurrier's quarterback shuffle in Gainesville in the mid-90s.
Perhaps the Fun-'n-Gun could be making its way Down East.
Going bowling
For the fourth-consecutive season, East Carolina's head
football coach will make a postseason appearance.
That's right. Even though the Pirates will be home for the
holidays, Thompson will direct the Gators' defense in the Outback Bowl
against Michigan.
"We think that it's best that I go back and coach in the
Outback Bowl with Florida," Thompson said. "We're in a dead (recruiting)
period during that time, so there's really nothing we can do that we can't
do over the phone."
Some expected Thompson to remain in Greenville, spending
that time assembling a staff and making inroads with area high school
coaches. Another line of thought is that the potential exposure for Thompson
in the bowl will provide positive PR for the Pirates, with the new East
Carolina hire getting a mention or two during the national broadcast.
I'll side with the latter. The Pirates could use the
publicity.
Of note...
ECU auditor Brenda Mills recently retired. She most
recently made headlines for an audit she conducted of the East Carolina
athletics department.
David Garrard, East Carolina's all-time leading passer,
made an appearance in Jacksonville's 28-10 loss to Tennessee Sunday. The
Jaguars backup quarterback completed 6-of-13 passes for 43 yards and
accounted for Jacksonville's only touchdown, a four-yard strike to
receiver Jimmy Smith. The Durham native also carried the ball five times
for 26 yards. Word out of Jacksonville is that Garrard's performance could
earn him the final start of the season next week, as the Jags, who are out
of the playoff picture, could begin preparing for the future.
Oakland Raiders defensive tackle Rod Coleman's late sack
against Denver ended the Broncos' comeback attempt Sunday. With the win,
the Raiders secured their third-consecutive AFC West championship.
Coleman, an ECU defensive dynamo from 1995-98, ranks second in the AFC
with 11 sacks.
Former Pirates golfer John Maginnes recently earned his
PGA Tour card. Maginnes, 34, played his way onto the tour with a
fifth-place tie in Q-school.
ECU's basketball team will open its Conference USA
basketball season against a national power at home while students are
still on Christmas vacation. Next Monday's visit by No. 13 Marquette had
to be shuffled to December 30 because it was originally scheduled for
March 5, a date when the state high school Eastern Regionals will be in
full swing in Williams Arena.
