*BREAKING: ECU Football Coach Blake Harrell Signs Contract Extension Through 2030, No Resignation Submitted
**GREENVILLE, N.C.** – Contrary to rumors circulating on social media, East Carolina University head football coach **Blake Harrell** has not submitted his resignation. In fact, the Pirates’ leader just received a significant vote of confidence from university leadership, signing a restructured contract that extends his tenure through February 2030 following back-to-back Military Bowl victories .
The ECU Board of Trustees approved Harrell’s restructured contract on Friday, which includes a $175,000 increase to his base salary, bringing his annual compensation to more than $800,000 . The new deal also features enhanced performance bonuses tied to win totals and bowl game appearances, rewarding the stability and success Harrell has brought to the program.
Harrell, a North Carolina native, has transformed the Pirates since taking over as interim head coach on October 20, 2024, following the dismissal of Mike Houston . After serving just over a month as interim, he was officially named ECU’s 23rd head football coach on November 27, 2024 . In his first full season at the helm, Harrell guided the Pirates to a 9-4 overall record, including a 6-2 mark in American Athletic Conference play . Overall, he has compiled an impressive 14-5 record since taking over the program .
“Blake has done an outstanding job leading our football program, highlighted by back-to-back bowl wins and our most conference wins since joining the American,” ECU Director of Athletics Jon Gilbert said in a statement . Gilbert himself received a three-year contract extension through December 2029 during the same Board of Trustees meeting .
Under Harrell’s leadership, the Pirates have ranked among Football Bowl Subdivision leaders in multiple statistical categories. In 2025, ECU averaged 32.7 points per game while allowing just 20.1 points per game—the fewest allowed by the program since 1999 . Since Harrell took over in 2024, 17 student-athletes have earned All-American Athletic Conference honors, including four first-team selections .
The contract extension has been met with enthusiasm from the Pirate Nation. Long-time fans have expressed relief and excitement about maintaining continuity within the program.
“Coach Harrell came in and Dowdy-Ficklen was pretty quiet, and he motivated those kids and he’s brought back excitement to Pirate football and that’s how Pirate football should be,” said ECU alumnus Jeff Holoman .
Another fan, Tony Capillary, emphasized the importance of stability: “Changing coaches doesn’t work, I’ve never seen a team consistently win when they’re changing coaches every two-three years and he’s done a good job nobody can complain about what he’s done. Leave him alone and let him do” .
Harrell’s journey to head coach began long before his interim appointment. He previously served as ECU’s defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach after joining the program in 2020 . As defensive coordinator in 2024, his unit ranked among FBS leaders in red zone defense, tackles for loss, and turnovers gained . Before ECU, he coached at Western Carolina, Lenoir-Rhyne, The Citadel, and Kennesaw State .
The new contracts for both Harrell and Gilbert represent a unified commitment from ECU leadership to sustained success. Gilbert has served as athletics director since 2018 and has overseen major facility renovations, including updates to Minges Coliseum, and guided ECU athletics through the transition into the NIL era of college sports .
For Pirate Nation, the message is clear: Blake Harrell isn’t going anywhere. With a restructured contract through 2030, consecutive bowl victories, and growing momentum in recruiting and on-field performance, the future of ECU football has never looked brighter.
