By: Mike Huesmann
The Mike Houston era at East Carolina is now over. They were the first FBS school to fire their head coach during the season. This is an interesting opening and place. They had success years ago with Skip Holtz (more on him later) and with Ruffin McNeill, who should never have been fired. This is a program that flies under the radar, is in a competitive recruiting location, but feels like a spot where they may need to win by being different. This is one of the most wide-open job openings I can remember in recent times.
Garrett Riley
Clemson, Offensive Coordinator
I have had a love/hate relationship when writing about Garrett Riley. He had a tremendous single year at TCU with Sonny Dykes, leading the Frogs to the national title game. His first year at Clemson in 2023 was not great but improvements were made and 2024 has been stellar. He has never coached at ECU but has familiarity here, as his older brother Lincoln Riley was the offensive coordinator here before going to Oklahoma. He’s young, energetic, and innovative.
The #Clemson offense has been historic thus far.
Cade Klubnik + Garrett Riley = 👇 https://t.co/a3WkgTECEG— Faxon Childress🎙️ (@FaxonPxP) October 21, 2024
Skip Holtz
Birmingham Stallions (UFL), Head Coach
Are we running the clock back? ECU has been so poor that they should consider it. Holtz was the head coach here from 2005 to 2009 and had a record of 38-27 and conference titles (C-USA) in each of his last two seasons before going to South Florida. He has coached the Stallions to the last three titles in the UFL/USFL.
"Here we are 3 years later, just trying to win the next game."
Skip Holtz reflects on going to his 3rd-straight Championship with the @USFLStallions 🐎🏆
(brought to you by @Gatorade, the official hydration partner of the UFL) pic.twitter.com/eRqh4xFEVM
— United Football League (@TheUFL) June 9, 2024
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Jerry Mack
Jacksonville Jaguars, RB Coach
Former North Carolina Central head coach, Jerry Mack, won three conference titles in four seasons at the FCS level. He is a known recruiter and has coached many stellar offensive players at Memphis, South Alabama, Rice, and Tennessee before bolting for the NFL this year. He’s taken an odd career path from being a very young and successful FCS head coach to an FBS and NFL assistant, but his time as an FBS head coach will come.
#Jaguars RB group will be an interesting group to watch this preseason. I think Jackson is a guy to watch.
The group breaks for special teams work while Travis Etienne stays behind to get some extra teaching from RB coach Jerry Mack. pic.twitter.com/nuZr0JDJiD
— Demetrius Harvey (@Demetrius82) August 7, 2024
Joe Sloan
LSU, Offensive Coordinator
ECU alumni and former quarterback Joe Sloan could be a candidate here if he wants to pursue it. In his first year as offensive coordinator at LSU, he was the quarterbacks coach who tutored Jayden Daniels to a Heisman trophy and early NFL success. Prior to LSU he spent nearly a decade at Louisiana Tech. He is continuing his quarterback success with Garrett Nussmeier this year; that has to be appealing to ECU.
ECU was paying $2.3 to Mike Houston. The Pirates job will be attractive and there are some very good head coaches expected to be in the mix plus some hot OCs including LSU's Joe Sloan, Miami's Shannon Dawson & Mizzou's Kirby Moore: https://t.co/MOs9BRCdeQhttps://t.co/MOs9BRCdeQ
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) October 22, 2024
Willie Simmons
Duke, RB Coach
Not so long ago I said Willie Simmons would be an offensive coordinator or possibly even a head coach at the FBS level, he was a fantastic hire for new head coach Manny Diaz. Simmons came to Duke from FCS Florida A&M where he was head coach for 6 years and never finished lower than second in the division. He’s a heck of an offensive coach and it feels like this could be a job for which he’s a candidate for.
Who is the Duke running backs coach? Here's what you need to know about Willie Simmons https://t.co/6D0Wzw9hWk via @fayobserver
— Erik Losey (@Erik_Losey) October 20, 2024
