East Carolina University has announced a change in its football program with Mike Houston no longer serving in the role of head coach.
The school released details Sunday morning, saying defensive coordinator Blake Harrell will serve in the position for the rest of the season. Below is the full statement from the school.
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ECU Director of Athletics Jon Gilbert announced today that a leadership change would be made in the Pirates football program with head coach Mike Houston.
“After a comprehensive evaluation of our football program, I informed Mike Houston this morning that we are making a change in leadership,” said Gilbert. “This was a very difficult decision. Mike has led our program the last five plus seasons with tremendous class and has positively impacted so many student-athletes. After earning back-to-back bowl invitations, we looked poised for continued success. Unfortunately, we have not seen the results we all want, and a change is needed to move the program forward. We have high expectations and those are not changing.
“We are confident we will identify the right leader for our football program. I believe ECU is a premier job with a passionate fan base, unprecedented support from our Pirate Club donors, and great facilities that continue to improve. Right now, we are focusing on our student-athletes as they compete for a postseason opportunity in the final five regular season games. My hope is Pirate Nation will rally around our student-athletes like they have always done.”
Defensive coordinator Blake Harrell has been named interim head coach for the remainder of the season.