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Thompson staff gets new blood
Bonesville.net Staff
Report
©2003 Bonesville.net
East Carolina football
coach John Thompson expects to hire Noah Brindise as offensive
coordinator — for the second time — and will fill the offensive line
coaching vacancy with Robert McFarland, who served as offensive
coordinator and offensive line coach at Central Florida in 2003.
“I’m very excited about
how things have worked out,” Thompson said Tuesday after Steve Spurrier
had announced his resignation as head coach of the Washington Redskins.
Brindise initially
accepted an offer in mid-January this year to join Thompson’s first
staff at ECU as offensive coordinator but the following day announced
that he planned to remain as quarterbacks coach of the Redskins after
receiving a substantial salary increase from the NFL club.
Thompson subsequently
hired longtime Clemson assistant Rick Stockstill, whose lone season with
the Pirates as offensive coordinator was characterized by key injuries,
turnovers and a general lack of production. Stockstill accepted a
position as receivers coach at South Carolina earlier this month.
J.B. Grimes vacated the
offensive line coaching position shortly after ECU finished a 1-11
season. The Pirates lose four of five starters on the offensive front
but expect to benefit from the return of Art Brown, who rushed for over
1,000 yards in 2002 but sat out in 2003 with a knee injury.
Thompson said he
anticipated changes in ECU’s offensive system under Brindise, who walked
on and later lettered as a quarterback from 1995 to 1997 under Spurrier
at Florida, twice making the All-SEC Academic honor roll. Brindise was
in Greenville on Tuesday.
Official announcements on
the staff additions are expected later this week.
Thompson said he is still
waiting to find out specifics, which include salary, on the pending hire
of a football strength and conditioning coach.
02/23/2007 11:29 AM
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