Blake Harrell has been selected to lead the ECU football program

“We are pleased to announce this Blake Harrell as the next head coach of the ECU football program,” Gilbert said. “I am confident that Blake is the ideal person to lead our program.” We are thrilled to welcome Blake, his wife Jessie and their three daughters Kennedy, Kingston and Aspen. For the final four games of the regular season, I asked Blake to assist our student-athletes in an interim role, and he excelled in all areas of the role. He clearly demonstrated his commitment to our student-athletes, coaches and staff, and we all witnessed his infectious energy and enthusiasm for the job. His leadership, communication skills, rapport with our players and commitment to building a championship program make him an excellent candidate.

“Over the past few weeks, Blake has laid out a detailed vision of his approach to leading this program. There is no doubt that we will play an aggressive and exciting brand of football and build a squad that strives for excellence on and off the field.” I look forward to working with Blake as we thrive in the evolving collegiate landscape -Athletics, with Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) prevailing and the addition of revenue sharing to be introduced soon.”

Harrell, the program’s interim head coach since Oct. 20 and the team’s defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach since he was first hired in January 2020, has led the Pirates (7-4, 5-2 AAC) to four straight wins over Temple led. Florida Atlantic, Tulsa and North Texas and has ECU for the third time in the last four seasons (2021/Military, 2022/Birmingham). Over the last four games, the Pirates have scored 183 points and 2,140 total yards of offense.

“It is a great honor to lead the East Carolina football program,” Harrell said. “I would like to thank Chancellor (Philip) Rogers, Athletic Director Jon Gilbert and the members of the East Carolina Board of Trustees for this opportunity.”

“Pirate Nation is second to none and our family is fortunate to call Greenville home. The passion that everyone has for East Carolina athletics is on display every day. We look forward to continuing our journey with this team and look forward to playing at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium this weekend and recognizing our graduating class.”

A 2021 Broyles Award nominee, Harrell has led the turnaround for a Pirates defensive unit that gave up just 27.3 points per game from 2020-23 – East Carolina’s best four-year record since 2012-15. During his time in Greenville, he has eight All -American Athletic Conference team selections as well as 2022 All-American Ja’Quan McMillian.

Before accepting his position on East Carolina’s coaching staff, Harrell spent one season (2019) as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Kennesaw State, helping lead the Owls to an 11-3 mark, a second-round playoff appearance Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). and a final No. 8 national ranking in the AFCA Coaches Poll.

Under his leadership, KSU’s defense led the Big South Conference in ten statistical categories and set four school records. Kennesaw State was also among the best at the FCS level, ranking third in total defense (278.7), fifth in rush defense (88.9), 10th in scoring defense (18.7 ), 11th in tackles for loss (104), 13th in forced turnovers (25), 15th in fumbles recovered (12), and 17th in third-down defense (33.0 percent).

He directly tutored junior linebacker Bryson Armstrong, a five-time All-America selection and named Big South Defensive Player of the Year with 95 tackles and 12.0 TFLs. Armstrong was also one of four Owl defensemen to earn all-league honors.

Prior to his appointment at KSU, Harrell spent five seasons at The Citadel – the last three as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. His strong defense helped the Bulldogs to back-to-back Southern Conference championships and a sixth overall FCS playoff finish during the 2016 season. During his five-year tenure in Charleston, he developed some of the SoCon’s most dynamic players as the program embarked on its most successful run in school history.

The Citadel held five opponents to fewer than 100 rushing yards during the 2018 campaign and led the SoCon in first-down defense, ranking 35th nationally. Perhaps the biggest highlight of the season came on November 17th when the Bulldogs defeated the No .1 limited Alabama to just 10 points in the first half at Bryant-Denny Stadium, the Tide’s lowest halftime total this year.

Harrell’s units continued to achieve success during his time at The Citadel, reaching 83 players over the past four years – including 31 during Houston’s final season as head coach in 2015, ranking them No. 3 in the country. His teams have forced at least 17 turnovers in each of the last four seasons, averaging nearly two per game during that time.

The Citadel had one of the best defenses in the SoCon during the 2017 season, finishing league play with the No. 1 scoring defense, total defense and rushing defense. In 2016, the Bulldog defense was the cornerstone of a team that boasted a record-setting 10-game winning streak, a school-record six road wins in a single season, and a No. 6 postseason finish nationally.

Harrell worked at Lenoir-Rhyne University for seven years, taking on a variety of roles from 2007 to 2013, including the positions of defensive running game coordinator, special teams coordinator, linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator.

In his final season at LR, Harrell helped the Bears reach the NCAA Division II National Championship Game, set a school record with 13 wins and ultimately secure a second national ranking. Defensively, Lenoir-Rhyne led the South Atlantic Conference in total defense, rushing defense, quarterback sacks and scoring defense.

Prior to joining LR, Harrell coached the 2005 and 2006 seasons at Franklin (NC) High School, where he oversaw the secondary and also assumed defensive coordinator duties in 2006. Harrell was part of an FHS team that was 22-4 in those two seasons. and his 2006 defense held opponents to just nine points per game.

Harrell also coached at Fuquay-Varina (NC) High School in 2004 and McDowell (NC) High School in 2003 after spending two seasons as a student assistant coach at alma mater Western Carolina in 2001 and 2002. Harrell graduated from Western Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 2002 before earning an MBA from Lenoir-Rhyne in 2012. He and his wife Jessie are the parents of three daughters – Kennedy, Kingston and Aspen.