ECU mourns passing of Hall of Fame athlete Debbie Freeman

by | Oct 17, 2024

Debbie Freeman, an East Carolina athletics Hall of Famer and the department’s first African American female student-athlete who competed in three sports for the Pirates, passed away on October 9, she was 68.

Freeman came to ECU by way of Jacksonville, N.C. in 1974 and went on to compete in volleyball, basketball and track & field, earning 11 varsity letters, the most ever by a female student-athlete at the time of her graduation. Freeman was a two-time ECU Fountain Co-Student Athlete of the Year in 1976 and 1978.

As a member of the basketball team, Freeman was named the program’s Most Valuable Player in 1976 and 1977 and earned three NCAIAW Division I All-State selections. She went on to be the second 1,000-point scorer in ECU history and her 1,570 points and 955 rebounds still rank seventh and third in program history. Both were program records at the time of her graduation.

Freeman still stands in the top 10 in multiple other statistical categories on the hardwood and her 26-rebound outing against UNC Greensboro on Jan. 18, 1977 remains a program record.

Click here to find out more.

Check out Pirate Radio

Website | Facebook | X (formerly Twitter) | Instagram | YouTube

Top Headlines

Pirates play host to Wolfpack Tuesday night

The East Carolina baseball team will look to return to its winning ways after a weekend sweep by Florida Atlantic. N.C. State will be at Clark-LeClair Stadium for a 6 p.m. start on Tuesday. Below is more information from ECU Sports Information. Pirate Radio is...

ECU announces home football game specifics for 2025

ECU football posted its home schedule to its social media accounts Monday evening, giving more specifics to the six games played at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in 2025. Your 2025 Home Game Designations! Let’s get Dowdy rowdy! 🏴‍☠️ #LetsRide pic.twitter.com/iyIzKWaqRG — ECU...

Dog-gone good: Zach Agnos, Isotopes enjoy Bark in the Park

The only thing missing on Sunday was a victory … dog-gone it. The Alburqurue Isotopes faced Salt Lake Bees on Sunday. Like many minor league ballparks, one of the most popular promotions involves dogs. They were howling in full gear as fans and their pooches showed...

The Danny Beal Show: Talking baseball with ECU players in the pros

A new season of "The Danny Beal Show" kicks off with some of the greats currently playing pro and minor league baseball. Danny Beal, a former ECU baseball star himself, will speak with everyone from Zach Agnos to Connor Norby, Gavin Williams, Trey Yesavage and many...

Pirates in baseball: Zach Agnos solid again in relief for Isotopes

ECU alum Zach Agnos made pretty quick work in his latest relief appearance on Sunday for Albuquerque. Zach Agnos with a huge strikeout of Ryan Noda, stranding the bases loaded and keeping the deficit at two runs! Rally time! pic.twitter.com/hjQdTz4lBQ — Albuquerque...

The Brian Bailey Show: ECU wide receivers coach Dyrell Roberts

Brian Bailey has a familiar face on his show on Monday. East Carolina University wide receivers coach Dyrell Roberts will join "The Brian Bailey Show" at noon. They will talk about the spring football season, his core of wide receivers, the upcoming season and much...