SPORTS TEAM HISTORY

Sports Team HistorySports Logo History
  • Home
  • Sports History
    • Baseball History
    • Basketball History
    • College History
    • Football History
    • Hockey History
    • Soccer History
  • Greatest Player Polls
  • More…
    • STH News
    • Team History Forum
    • Sports Team History Products
STH #3 Home Header 1440x650

East Carolina Pirates School History

STH Greatest Player Polls Banner
Sports Forum Banner
STH Products Sale Banner
Sports News History Banner
East Carolina Pirates




  • 1991
  • 2007
  • 2008
  • 2009
  • 2010
  • 1991: East Carolina joins Conference USA

    East Carolina joins Conference USA as a charter member for football

    In 1991: East Carolina joins Conference USA as a charter member for football only. The football team plays in its fourth Division I bowl game, the Peach Bowl again, losing to North Carolina State. Bill Lewis becomes the head coach of the football team.
    See Full Story
  • Chris Johnson East Carolina Pirates

    Finishing Strong for EC’s Chris Johnson

    After an average junior season, Johnson entered his senior season as a preseason All-Conference USA first-team as a return specialist. However, he finished the season as a first-team selection as a returner and second-team selection as a running back. Johnson began the season with a rushing score in the 17–7 loss to Virginia Tech. He followed that performance up with ...
    Read More
    See Full Story
  • east carolina pirates 2008 football USA conference win

    The football team wins its first Conference USA title

    In 2008: The football team wins its first Conference USA title and plays in its eighth Division I bowl game, the Hawaii Bowl again, losing to Hawaii. Chris Johnson becomes the most decorated running back in school history.
    See Full Story
  • east carolina pirates 2009 football USA conference win

    The football team wins its second consecutive Conference USA title

    In 2009: The football team wins its second consecutive Conference USA title and plays in its ninth Division I bowl game, the Liberty Bowl again, losing to Arkansas. Skip Holtz leaves as head coach to take over at South Florida. Ruffin McNeill becomes the head coach of the football team.
    See Full Story
  • Billy Godwin east

    Billy Godwin becomes the head coach of the baseball team

    In 2010: The baseball team reaches the Super Regionals of the NCAA tournament for the second time, losing to Virginia. Billy Godwin becomes the head coach of the baseball team.
    See Full Story

Pirates Primary Logo
Pirates Alternate Logo
Pirates Wordmark Logo

History of the Pirates

The East Carolina Pirates have been a powerhouse in NCAA sports for many years. From football to basketball, the Pirates have consistently proven themselves as one of the best teams in college athletics. With a rich history and passionate fan base, it's no wonder why so many people are drawn to this team!

The Pirates first made their mark on college athletics in football when they joined Conference USA in 1996. Since then, they've won several conference championships and earned multiple bowl game appearances over two decades later. In 2019 alone, The East Carolina Pirates finished with an impressive 11-2 record – their best since 2014 – while claiming victories against top-tier opponents like Navy and Virginia Tech.

In basketball, too, The East Carolina Pirates have had much success throughout its program’s history, most notably making numerous trips to both NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteens (2006 & 2009) and NIT Final Fours (2003 & 2005). Additionally, during that period from 2003–2009 under head coach Mack McCarthy’s tenure at ECU, the Pirate men's hoops squad posted five consecutive 20+ win seasons - something only accomplished by six other schools during that same span nationwide.

Overall, there are plenty of reasons for Sports Fans everywhere to be proud supporters of The Mighty East Carolina University Pirate Athletics Program! With such outstanding accomplishments already achieved across all sports programs and promising prospects ahead, things will continue looking up for ECU fans far into the next decade!





College Sports Established
1832

Location
Greenville, North Carolina

College Name
East Carolina University

Collegiate History
1973 - Present / NCAA Division 1
1932 - 1973 / University Division of the NCAA

Conference History
2014 - Present / American Athletic Conference
1997 - 2014 / Conference USA
1932 - 1997 - Independent

Nickname
Pirates - The East Carolina Pirates are one of the most recognizable college teams in the country. With their iconic pirate logo and nickname, they have become a staple in NCAA athletics. But where did this unique name come from? It turns out that there is an interesting story behind it!

In 1934, football coach Clarence Stasavich was hired to lead East Carolina University's team. He wanted to create a unique identity for his players. He chose the name “Pirates” to honor local folklore about pirates who had operated along North Carolina’s coast centuries ago. The school adopted its now-famous logo featuring an eye patch-wearing pirate with crossed swords shortly after Stasavich arrived at ECU, further solidifying its new identity as “the Pirates."

Since then, East Carolina has embraced its nickname wholeheartedly—from using it on merchandise and apparel to having fans dress up like pirates during games or other events held by the university. The Pirate mascot also regularly appears at sporting events around campus each year! This shows just how much pride students take in their school's history and heritage regarding sports teams - something that will continue for many years!

NCAA Championships
Baseball 0

Men's Basketball 0

Women's Basketball 0

Football 0

Soccer 0

Who is the greatest East Carolina Pirates?
  • Add your greatest player

To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.

Sports News History

Sports News Worth Knowing

RSS NCAA Football Headline News

  • 2023 Big Ten on CBS schedule, TV times: Ohio State kicks off season, Michigan and Penn State featured
  • The great SEC schedule debate shouldn’t even be a debate
  • Clock is ticking on SEC’s football schedule decision
  • Fresh starts for DJ Uiagalelei and five other college quarterbacks
  • Greg Sankey seems to prefer nine SEC games: ‘The league at the forefront … does not stand still’

Sports Market History

Sports Team Marketplace of Champions!

College Logo Battle

Greatest Player Polls

STH Product Sale

College Schools
Menu
  • ACC
    • Boston College Eagles
    • Clemson Tigers
    • Duke Blue Devils
    • Florida State Seminoles
    • Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
    • Louisville Cardinals
    • Miami Hurricanes
    • North Carolina State Wolfpack
    • North Carolina Tar Heels
    • Notre Dame Fighting Irish
    • Pittsburgh Panthers
    • Syracuse Orange
    • Virginia Cavaliers
    • Virginia Tech Hokies
    • Wake Forest Demon Deacons
  • American Athletic
    • Central Florida Knights
    • Cincinnati Bearcats
    • East Carolina Pirates
    • Houston Cougars
    • Memphis Tigers
    • SMU Mustangs
    • South Florida Bulls
    • Temple Owls
    • Tulane Green Wave
    • Tulsa Golden Hurricane
    • Wichita State Shockers
  • ASUN
    • Austin Peay Governors
    • Bellarmine Knights
    • Central Arkansas Bears
    • Eastern Kentucky Colonels
    • Florida Gulf Coast Eagles
    • Jacksonville Dolphins
    • Jacksonville State Gamecocks
    • Kennesaw State Owls
    • Liberty Flames
    • Lipscomb Bisons
    • North Alabama Lions
    • North Florida Ospreys
    • Stetson Hatters
  • Atlantic 10
    • Davidson Wildcats
    • Dayton Flyers
    • Duquesne Dukes
    • Fordham Rams
    • George Mason Patriots
    • George Washington Colonials
    • La Salle Explorers
    • Loyola Ramblers
    • Massachusetts Minutemen
    • Rhode Island Rams
    • Richmond Spiders
    • Saint Louis Billikens
    • St. Bonaventure Bonnies
    • St. Joseph’s Hawks
    • Virginia Commonwealth Rams
  • Big 10
    • Illinois Fighting Illini
    • Indiana Hoosiers
    • Iowa Hawkeyes
    • Maryland Terrapins
    • Michigan State Spartans
    • Michigan Wolverines
    • Minnesota Golden Gophers
    • Nebraska Cornhuskers
    • Northwestern Wildcats
    • Ohio State Buckeyes
    • Penn State Nittany Lions
    • Purdue Boilermakers
    • Rutgers Scarlet Knights
    • Wisconsin Badgers
  • Big 12
    • Baylor Bears
    • Iowa State Cyclones
    • Kansas Jayhawks
    • Kansas State Wildcats
    • Oklahoma Sooners
    • Oklahoma State Cowboys
    • TCU Horned Frogs
    • Texas Longhorns
    • Texas Tech Red Raiders
    • West Virginia Mountaineers
  • Big East
    • Butler Bulldogs
    • Connecticut Huskies
    • Creighton Bluejays
    • DePaul Blue Demons
    • Georgetown Hoyas
    • Marquette Golden Eagles
    • Providence Friars
    • Seton Hall Pirates
    • St. John’s Red Storm
    • Villanova Wildcats
    • Xavier Musketeers
  • Big Sky
    • Eastern Washington Eagles
    • Idaho State Bengals
    • Idaho Vandals
    • Montana Grizzlies
    • Montana State Bobcats
    • Northern Arizona Lumberjacks
    • Northern Colorado Bears
    • Portland State Vikings
    • Sacramento State Hornets
    • Weber State Wildcats
    • Past Teams
      • Southern Utah Thunderbirds
  • Big West
    • Cal Poly Mustangs
    • Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners
    • Cal State Fullerton Titans
    • Cal State Northridge Matadors
    • Hawaii Warriors
    • Long Beach State 49ers
    • UC Davis Aggies
    • UC Irvine Anteaters
    • UC Riverside Highlanders
    • UC San Diego Tritons
    • UC Santa Barbara Gauchos
  • C-USA
    • Charlotte 49ers
    • FIU Panthers
    • Florida Atlantic Owls
    • Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
    • Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
    • North Texas Mean Green
    • Rice Owls
    • UAB Blazers
    • UTEP Miners
    • UTSA Roadrunners
    • Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
    • Future Team
      • Sam Houston State Bearkats
  • Ivy
    • Brown Bears
    • Columbia Lions
    • Cornell Big Red
    • Dartmouth Big Green
    • Harvard Crimson
    • Penn Quakers
    • Princeton Tigers
    • Yale Bulldogs
  • MAC
    • Akron Zips
    • Ball State Cardinals
    • Bowling Green Falcons
    • Buffalo Bulls
    • Central Michigan Chippewas
    • Eastern Michigan Eagles
    • Kent State Golden Flashes
    • Miami (Ohio) Redhawks
    • Northern Illinois Huskies
    • Ohio Bobcats
    • Toledo Rockets
    • Western Michigan Broncos
  • Missouri Valley
    • Belmont Bruins
    • Bradley Braves
    • Drake Bulldogs
    • Evansville Purple Aces
    • Illinois State Redbirds
    • Indiana State Sycamores
    • Missouri State Bears
    • Murray State Racers
    • Northern Iowa Panthers
    • Southern Illinois Salukis
    • UIC Flames
    • Valparaiso Beacons
  • Mountain West
    • Air Force Falcons
    • Boise State Broncos
    • Colorado State Rams
    • Fresno State Bulldogs
    • Nevada Wolf Pack
    • New Mexico Lobos
    • San Diego State Aztecs
    • San Jose State Spartans
    • UNLV Rebels
    • Utah State Aggies
    • Wyoming Cowboys
  • Ohio Valley
    • Eastern Illinois Panthers
    • Lindenwood Lions
    • Little Rock Trojans
    • Morehead State Eagles
    • SE Missouri State Redhawks
    • SIU Edwardsville Cougars
    • Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles
    • Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks
    • Tennessee State Tigers
    • Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles
  • PAC 12
    • Arizona State Sun Devils
    • Arizona Wildcats
    • California Golden Bears
    • Colorado Buffaloes
    • Oregon Ducks
    • Oregon State Beavers
    • Southern California Trojans
    • Stanford Cardinal
    • UCLA Bruins
    • Utah Utes
    • Washington Huskies
    • Washington State Cougars
  • Patriot
    • American Eagles
    • Army Black Knights
    • Boston Terriers
    • Bucknell Bisons
    • Colgate Raiders
    • Holy Cross Crusaders
    • Lafayette Leopards
    • Lehigh Mountain Hawks
    • Loyola-Maryland Greyhounds
    • Navy Midshipmen
  • SEC
    • Alabama Crimson Tide
    • Arkansas Razorbacks
    • Auburn Tigers
    • Florida Gators
    • Georgia Bulldogs
    • Kentucky Wildcats
    • LSU Tigers
    • Mississippi State Bulldogs
    • Missouri Tigers
    • Ole Miss Rebels
    • South Carolina Gamecocks
    • Tennessee Volunteers
    • Texas A&M Aggies
    • Vanderbilt Commodores
  • Southland
    • Houston Christian Huskies
    • Incarnate Word Cardinals
    • Lamar Cardinals
    • McNeese Cowboys
    • New Orleans Privateers
    • Nicholls State Colonels
    • Northwestern State Demons
    • Southeastern Louisiana Lions
    • Texas A&M Commerce Lions
    • Texas A&M–Corpus Christi Islanders
  • Southwestern
    • Alabama A&M Bulldogs
    • Alabama State Hornets
    • Alcorn State Braves
    • Arkansas-PB Golden Lions
    • Bethune–Cookman Wildcats
    • Florida A&M Rattlers
    • Grambling State Tigers
    • Jackson State Tigers
    • Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils
    • Prairie View A&M Panthers
    • Southern Jaguars
    • Texas Southern Tigers
  • Sun Belt
    • Appalachian State Mountaineers
    • Arkansas State Red Wolves
    • Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
    • Georgia Southern Eagles
    • Georgia State Panthers
    • James Madison Dukes
    • Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns
    • Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks
    • Marshall Thundering Herd
    • Old Dominion Monarchs
    • South Alabama Jaguars
    • Southern Miss Golden Eagles
    • Texas State Bobcats
    • Troy Trojans
  • West Coast
    • BYU Cougars
    • Gonzaga Bulldogs
    • Loyola Marymount Lions
    • Pacific Tigers
    • Pepperdine Waves
    • Portland Pilots
    • Saint Marys Gaels
    • San Diego Toreros
    • San Francisco Dons
    • Santa Clara Broncos
  • WAC
    • Abilene Christian Wildcats

STH News

Latest Sports Team History News

From Toronto Arenas To Maple Leafs A Complete History

June 1, 2023

Unforgettable Rivalries in NBA History

May 31, 2023

The Three-Peat History of Georgia Bulldogs Football

May 31, 2023

The Storied History of Key NHL Teams

May 17, 2023

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Search in posts
Search in pages
Sports Logo History
Sports News History
Sports Market History
  • About
  • Contact
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy

Sports Team History
© 2013 - 2023 Sports History Group LLC - All Rights Reserved
  • Arizona Hotshots
  • Atlanta Legends
  • Birmingham Iron
  • Memphis Express
  • Orlando Apollos
  • Salt Lake Stallions
  • San Antonio Commanders
  • San Diego Fleet