Raising the Jolly Roger: Coach Sam's Blueprint for ECU Football

SNC: Coach Sam! Do you have a moment to answer a few questions about the upcoming season?

Coach Sam: Lol be gentle with me but let’s do it 😂

SNC: Some would say that ECU is a sleeping giant. It has a great stadium, a great location, and a great fanbase. How do you plan on moving the program forward and turn them into a force within the AAC?

Coach Sam: You know Jake, I don’t see us a sleeping giant, we’re a hibernating giant waiting to unleash our destiny on the world. First off we’re ramping up our recruiting, not just scouting high schoolers, but preschoolers! We’re setting up satellite camps on every Caribbean island, because we aren’t just recruiting athletes, we’re recruiting pirates! I’m throwing out the old playbook and bringing in a lot more flare and a lot more fireworks, we aren’t laying up on short par 4s over here. We’re steering hard into what it takes to be a Pirate, we’re looking for the best of the best, Pirates who can swim with one hand and catch a football with the other!

SNC: Recruiting actual pirates will definitely help the “off the bus intimidation factor.” The offense struggled throughout last year, averaging just over 17 points per game. What kind of changes do you plan on implementing going into the 2024 season?

Coach Sam: We’re hoisting sails and ready to shiver the timbers of our opponents this year after last year's blunder. Taking some notes from my Texas Tech days of the Air Raid offense, my staff and I will implement the Pirate Raid offense, where opponents will have no choice but to surrender their booty to us, especially with our new QB recruit who has a cannon for an arm. It all starts in the off-season, though. We are putting in the work, blood, sweat, and tears perfecting our Pirate technique, and the results will speak for themselves at the end of the season.

SNC: Pirates are notoriously known for having bad breath. How do you plan to combat that? Any NIL opportunities for your players in the works?

Coach Sam: I’m glad you asked that. The NIL Pirate game has yet to be plundered to its full extent, and I intend to be the first to put on display the power of the Buccaneer Bag Men. Yes, pirates have notoriously bad breath, but we have partnered with our local dentistries to provide all of our players with complimentary mouthwash for their careers, with just a hint of rum to satisfy any Scallywag’s thirst, and their smiles will be as bright as the treasures we will be hunting for in the AAC this year.

SNC: Fantastic. I'm glad to see the boosters and community embracing the message. Each job has its unique challenges. What do you see as your biggest challenge for year 1, and what is your goal for the team in year 1?

Coach Sam: Championships are the name and winning is the game! That’s all we know here and the goal for this year and every year. Winning the AAC. Securing a spot in the playoffs. Winning the National Championship. Rinse and repeat. Now as far as challenges, there will be plenty of waves in year 1 to navigate through, but establishing the culture with our players and fans, and to make Greenville not just the tobacco capital of the world but to get everyone in the world addicted to our football program as well.

SNC: Very insightful, Coach. Thank you for your time. Any parting shots before we wrap this up?

Coach Sam: Thank you, Jake; I’m excited to set sail and make some waves with the Pirates this year.

SNC: Good luck, we will talk again soon.