Justin Hardy, Shane Carden, Terry Holland and Dwayne Harris are four of the six individuals named to the 2025 East Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame.
Below are more details from ECU Sports Information.
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By ECUSports Information
Six of the most influential figures in ECU Athletics history will be inducted into the East Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday, Nov. 7, at the 46th installment ceremony at Harvey Hall inside the Pete & Lynn Murphy Center as part of the Hall of Fame/Letterwinners Weekend.
This year’s class includes All-American high jumper Tynita Butts-Townsend, honorable mention All-American and All-Conference USA/All-American Athletic Conference quarterback Shane Carden, All-American wide receiver Justin Hardy, honorable mention All-American and All-Conference USA wide receiver/kick returner Dwayne Harris, athletic director Terry Holland and three-time Southern Conference Champion wrestler Daniel Monroe.
Class of 2025! Congratulations @FreakMagic2 @_Scarden5 and Dwayne Harris! 🏴☠️ #PirateLegends pic.twitter.com/GSpL7mhTkM
— ECU Football (@ECUPiratesFB) July 22, 2025
The six new inductees will be recognized publicly inside Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium as part of the Hall of Fame festivities during the Nov. 8 Homecoming football game versus Charlotte.
This year’s class will bring the total membership to 193. The original ECU Athletics Hall of Fame was formed in 1974 as an organization to honor individuals who have, by direct participation in Pirate intercollegiate athletics, brought outstanding recognition to themselves and the university.
When you get the call to the Hall 🏴☠️ pic.twitter.com/FhFfSUkA5f
— East Carolina Pirates (@ECUAthletics) July 22, 2025
Butts (ECU ’14) finished her time in the Purple and Gold as the most decorated high jumper in program history. A six-time All-America selection, she set and currently owns the indoor (6-02.75 set in 2013) and outdoor (6-03.25 in 2014) high jump records while setting and sharing the outdoor (20-05.00 in 2019) long jump mark. During her four-year tenure, Butts tallied 39 career wins, was a seven-time Conference USA high jump champion and helped ECU to three conference championships titles (2012 indoor, 2014 indoor, 2014 outdoor). As a freshman, she was the conference indoor high jump runner-up and placed third in the outdoor high jump as a junior in the conference championships. Butts gained national attention her last two years in the program after earning NCAA runner-up status in the 2013 indoor high jump and the 2014 outdoor high jumps. Following her collegiate career, Butts participated in the USA Championships, world championships and was a member and participant for Team USA in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Carden (ECU ’13) was a three-year letterman under ECU Hall of Famer Ruffin McNeill, helping the Pirates to 23 wins from 2012-14 and three bowl appearances that included a 37-20 victory over Ohio in the 2014 Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl as the starting quarterback. An honorable mention All-America (SI.com in 2014), Conference USA Most Valuable Player (2013) and American Athletic Conference Offensive Player-of-the-Year (2014) selection, he departed East Carolina as the program’s most prolific passer in school history setting new standards in pass attempts (1,579), pass completions (1,052), passing yards (11,991), passing touchdowns (86), total offense (12,244) and total plays (1,850). Carden accounted for 110 of 2069 offensive scores (65.1%) and converted 169 of 194 (87.1%) redzone opportunities under center during his career. The Captain, which the Pirate faithful called him, was the first quarterback at ECU to pass for 10,000 yards in a career, threw for over 400 yards in a game on nine occasions including three straight in 2014 and is the only one to pass for 4,000 or more yards in a season, which he did both in 2013 and 2014. Carden participated in the 2015 Senior Bowl before signing with the Chicago Bears of the National Football League as an undrafted free agent.
Hardy (ECU ’14), a four-year letterman under ECU Hall of Famer Ruffin McNeill, helped ECU to 31 wins from 2011-14 and three postseason bowl appearances including teaming up with fellow hall of fame electee Shane Carden in a 37-20 victory over Ohio in the 2014 Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl. The three-time first-team all-conference selection (2012-13/C-USA, 2014/AAC) completed his record-breaking All-America career as one of the premier pass catchers at the FBS level becoming the NCAA all-time receptions leader (387) while standing third all-time in receiving yards (4,451). At the conclusion of his senior year, he had established new ECU single-season records in receptions (121) and receptions yards (1,494) – both in 2014, while owning career marks for receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches (35). Deuce, who he was affectionally called by Pirate fans because of wearing No. 2, became the 16th player in FBS history with 4,000-plus receiving yards and the first Pirate receiver with consecutive 100-yard receptions and three-straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons. Hardy was a two-time Burlsworth Trophy semifinalist and 2014 winner, which is given to the nation’s most outstanding player who began his career as a walk-on. In 49 games for the Purple and Gold, he posted 15 double-digit career reception games and 17 100-yard receiving contests, the most by a Pirate receiver. Hardy teamed up with Carden one last time participating in the 2015 Senior Bowl before being selected in the 2015 National Football Draft by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round.
Harris (ECU ’11) was a four-year letterman under head coach Skip Holtz and ECU Hall of Famer Ruffin McNeill, helping the Pirates to five consecutive bowl appearances, a 41-38 win over Boise State in the 2007 Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl and back-to-back Conference USA Championship titles. He left the program as the school’s all-time leader in both receptions (268) and reception yards (3,001) after breaking single-season standards in both categories as a senior in 2010. Harris, a jack-of-all-trades on the gridiron who returned punts, kickoffs and occasionally playing at quarterback, was tabbed as an honorable mention All-America selection (2010), named Conference USA Co-Most Valuable Player (2010), three-time all-league member (first team 2009-10) and earned inclusion the C-USA All-Freshman Team. As a member of the special teams’ unit, Harris holds ECU records for kickoff returns in a season (41 in 2010), kickoff return touchdowns in a season (3 in 2009) and career kickoff returns for a touchdown (3 from 2007-10). During his final collegiate season, Harris caught 101 passes for 1,123 yards with 10 touchdowns and ranked sixth nationally in receptions per game (7.8). Harris participated in the 2011 Senior Bowl before being selected in the 2011 National Football Draft by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round.
Holland, a 1964 graduate from Davidson College, was named ECU’s eighth director of athletics in the fall of 2004. During his near 10-year run as ECU’s Director of Athletics (2004-12) and in the Director of Athletics Emeritus Role (2013), Holland’s fingerprints are firmly secured on the revitalization of a once-proud football tradition that included back-to-back C-USA football titles in 2008 and 2009, a division co-championship in 2012 and six bowl appearances. The on-the-field success enabled East Carolina to enjoy unrivaled record-breaking numbers at the turnstiles as well – breaking stadium standards for total attendance and average attendance in five consecutive seasons (2008-12) – allowing for a 7,000-seat expansion at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium that pushed the facility’s capacity to 50,000 in time for the 2010 campaign. Holland orchestrated an aggressive scheduling plan through 2020 which elevated public perception, national interest and growth of Pirate Football with annual home and road regional rivalry games. East Carolina’s other sports programs also prospered under Holland’s direction, earning C-USA regular season and tournament championships or qualifying for NCAA postseason appearances. Holland passed away on Feb. 26, 2023, at the age of 80.
Monroe (ECU ’75), arguably one of the best wrestlers in school history, was a four-year letterman under ECU Hall of Fame coach John Welborn. A three-time Southern Conference Champion (1971-73) in the 126-pound weight class, Monroe was named to the SoCon’s 100th Anniversary Wrestling Team in 2022. During his career, he won over 110 individual matches, was a three-time state collegiate champion, a four-time national qualifier and helped ECU to three consecutive SoCon Team Championships during his time from 1972-74. As cited by former teammate Tim McAteer, “Dan, whose uplifting and generous personality was always his calling card, became the glue that would keep those great teams in synchroneity. Coach Welborn had established the chemistry of these highly competitive teams, filled with not only great wrestling talent but also the strong individual personalities that go with it. Dan was the perfect mix to that chemistry, a best friend to all, while arguably the best and most respected wrestler in the room, this a rare occurrence especially on teams with a very divergent set of personas.” Although slowed by a shoulder injury his senior season, Monroe continued to lead the Pirates to an undefeated season and another conference championship in 1974.
An interactive video listing and capsules of the entire Hall of Fame membership is in the Walter and Marie Williams Hall of Fame Area inside the Smith-Williams Center which opened in 2013. Photos of all Hall of Fame members are now on permanent display while the 2025 enshrined class will be added for the upcoming Hall of Fame Weekend Nov. 7-8.
All Hall of Fame members will be receiving an email soon with all the details of the Hall of Fame ceremony. If you are a current Hall of Fame member and need to update any of your contact information, please email ecuhofsecretary@ecu.edu with the proper changes.