GREENVILLE — Ruffin McNeill made his future intentions clear in the first minute of his introductory press conference as East Carolina's new football coach.
After 24 seasons as a college assistant, the previous 10 at Texas Tech, he called his first head coaching job, and the return to his alma mater, his "destination" job.
"This is a dream come true for an East Carolina country boy," McNeill said. "This is where I want to be until they tote me away from here."
The 51-year-old Lumberton native received a five-year, $5 million contract to be ECU's 20th head coach. Eight days after Skip Holtz left for South Florida, ECU found its new leader by turning back the clock.
Ruffin starred at defensive back for Pat Dye in the last 1970s and returned in 1992 as an assistant coach for one season under Steve Logan, two of the winningest coaches in ECU history.
He didn't just win the press conference, he mesmerized the gathered crowd of former players and boosters with his strong, deep voice and rhythmic delivery.
He promised the players, current and future, he would "hug 'em up" and "love 'em up."
He also acknowledged the challenge of replacing 28 seniors from a team that went 9-5 in 2008 and repeated as Conference USA champions.
"We know we have work in front of us," McNeill said. "Nobody will out-work us."
Comments
He is going to make things
Sat, 01/23/2010 - 17:09 — unc098He is going to make things interesting around here. I am looking forward to seeing what he can achieve. As someone else said, recruiting just got a lot harder in the state of NC.
Does he have designs...
Fri, 01/22/2010 - 20:24 — UNC1998on bringing TT's offensive system? That might bring in offensive recruits.
yes
Sat, 01/23/2010 - 13:30 — gvillegatrthe same guy who called the offensive plays in the Alamao Bowl will be his offensive co-ordinator at ECU.
they are going to run the TT offense. giddy up.
I think it is fair to say growth to Dowdy Ficklen Stadium will move forward as planned.
Yes, a great hire
Fri, 01/22/2010 - 18:40 — ModeratorAnyone that watched Texas Tech's bowl game and noted Coach McNeill's interaction with the players and coaching staff had to be impressed with how calm and in control he appeared in a very difficult situation. After the win he started hugging his players one at a time and you could hear him saying "I love you guys." He seems to get it that a coach has a powerful influence on the young people under them and needs to act accordingly. Welcome home coach. I hope you succeed at ECU beyond anyone's imagination.
He's from Lumberton AND went to ECU?
Fri, 01/22/2010 - 18:36 — willncsuUh-oh!
Shush
Tue, 01/26/2010 - 10:35 — YAR8packDon't make asinine comments that make the rest of us Wolfpack fans seem as bigoted and silly as you. If you are going to continue to spread silly comments, it'd be best if your removed "ncsu" from the end of your blog name. No real Wolfpack fans want to be represented by you.
Who gives a $%*! if he's from Lumberton. So what? I'm sure whatever place you come from isn't otherwise known as Pleasantville.
Keep wearing your foolish red lenses. Your bias only makes you look like the people you mock.
I said that
Tue, 01/26/2010 - 14:57 — willncsubecause I am from lumberton, genius.
Great hire
Fri, 01/22/2010 - 16:22 — Heels20He deserved the head coaching job at Texas Tech, and I think he would have succeeded there. Instead, he returns to his alma mater where there is a very solid program competing in a secondary conference. Is a BCS birth a reasonable possibility in the next few years? I think so.