Al Myatt: Basketball struggles not on AD's front burner

Don't miss Al Myatt's profile of ECU Chancellor Steven Ballard in the 2004 Bonesville Magazine.

View from the East
Monday, January 24, 2005

By Al Myatt

The margin of ECU's loss at Louisville on Wednesday night was resounding. The Cardinals are a talented, well-coached and tradition-steeped program. ECU was buried early, trailing 50-15 at the half.

But ECU's biggest loss ever in Conference USA hasn't given ECU athletic director Terry Holland an itchy trigger finger.

"We are certainly not going to panic and do anything silly in the midst of the season," said Holland, whose experience in college basketball includes a 326-173 record as the most successful hoops coach in Virginia history.

Holland did make a decision to terminate football coach John Thompson before the end of the 2004 season — less than two seasons into Thompson's 5-year contract. Herrion's struggle to produce a winning season at ECU has spanned six seasons and his contract runs through 2008.

Some factors in Herrion's favor are that basketball and the financial health of the overall athletic program are not tied to the success of his program to the extent that ECU depends on football.

Herrion has worked on a treadmill that has speeded up and gotten steeper. He was hired to direct a program that was struggling in the mid-major Colonial Athletic Association and then the Pirates made the leap to nationally-powerful Conference USA — without a significant change in program resources.

Injuries, academic struggles and transfers have consumed considerable personnel that would have made the Pirates more competitive during Herrion's tenure. The mass exodus of league powers including Cincinnati, Louisville and Marquette to new affiliations effective next season should enhance ECU's competitiveness within C-USA.

Herrion's club regrouped to go back on the road Saturday and lead DePaul by nine points before the Blue Demons rallied for a 77-56 win. The Pirates shot just 20 percent in the second half.

"The team has shown sparks of brilliance but like most young teams has experienced an exaggerated roller coaster ride," Holland said. "Except for the very elite, many programs are experiencing the same thing. Mississippi State, which has been a very good program, went to Alabama (Tuesday night) and lost by 49 points (98-49) so this is a phenomenon that is certainly not limited to East Carolina."

Holland had no comment when asked if an evaluation of Herrion, similar to the one that resulted in Thompson's dismissal, was being conducted.

"We understand that things like this happen in basketball this time of year," Holland said. "We're not going to even start talking about stuff like that."

On another topic, Holland indicated the trail was cold on an ECU move to another conference in the near future.

"Nothing is happening," said the ECU AD. "We're just trying to win some games and hopefully some championships in Conference USA."

Ryan Blake, assistant director of scouting for the NBA, was aware that ECU center Moussa Badiane was a bright spot in an otherwise dismal showing at Louisville as the 6-11 senior scored 16 points and collected 16 rebounds against the Cardinals.

"He's an intriguing guy from a defensive standpoint," Blake said of the Pirates career blocked shots leader. "Offensively his game needs some work but, with the kind of work ethic he has, his offensive game — his low post game and range — will improve.

"He's a guy we will follow because of his defensive ability. Can he make a living playing basketball? Yes. Does he have a chance to make it in the NBA? Yes. Does he have a chance to be drafted? Yes.

The season before Keith LeClair arrived to coach baseball at East Carolina, the Pirates drew 197 fans for their first home game against Radford.

LeClair coached ECU from 1998 to 2002 and restored the program to national prominence. The Pirates essentially outgrew Harrington Field during LeClair's tenure and the wheels began turning to build a new home field for the Pirates.

It is more than fitting that the courageous former ECU coach will be honored with his name on the new state-of-the-art facility.

The Pirates play their first home game at the new stadium on March 4 against Michigan in the second annual Keith LeClair Invitational and you can bet that many more than 197 will be there to see it — which illustrates the impact that LeClair had during his five seasons at the Pirate helm.

The new park also will allow ECU to host NCAA Tournament games, which will be an advantage as the Pirates continue to strive toward fulfilling LeClair's goal of going to Omaha, Neb., for the College World Series.

"One of the reasons why I wanted to support this project was to get Keith's name on the stadium as it should be," said Bill Clark, who donated $1.5 million of the structure's $10 million price tag.

ECU recently announced that the new facility would be named Clark-LeClair Stadium in honor of Clark and the coach who had to relinquish his passion for guiding the Pirates to battle Lou Gehrig's disease.

"I'm very grateful to the Clark family and very honored that the LeClair name will be next to theirs." LeClair said. "I know that a lot of other players and coaches have had a part in building the new stadium as well. This facility represents everyone involved over the many decades that have worked to build this great baseball tradition."