COACHING STAFF Head Coach Ruffi n McNeill Head Football Coach age, eighth in passing off ense, 16th in scoring off ense, 18th in fi rst (East Carolina ’80) downs per game and 25th in total off ense. Although the unit featured 11 fi rst-time starters, McNeill’s off ense hen former Pirate defensive back scored 60 touchdowns (39 pass, 21 rush) – a single-season record. Wand assistant coach Ruffi n Mc- Overall, the Pirates tallied 62 TDs and 478 points, which also were Neill came home last year, the return school standards. off ered a promise of renewed Purple and McNeill enhanced his reputation as a father fi gure by those within Gold passion. the East Carolina program, promoting a family-type atmosphere and Not to mention, plenty of points too. providing the disciplined instruction on the fi eld that marked his McNeill, who starred as a four-year let- long tenure at Texas Tech. terman in the late 1970s and recently Before returning to his alma mater, McNeill concluded the 2009 completed a 10-year stay at Texas Tech, was appointed East Caro- season as the Red Raiders’ interim head coach by rallying No. 21 Tex- lina’s 20th head football coach January 21, 2010. as Tech to a 41-31 victory over Michigan State at the Valero Alamo Th e Lumberton native delivered on those pledges during his initial Bowl Jan. 2 after the dismissal of Mike Leach. In addition to helping campaign, which also marked his 25th overall season coaching at the the program complete the year with nine triumphs, McNeill’s steady collegiate level. hand was responsible for Texas Tech’s fi rst season-ending three- Despite inheriting a program which lost 34 lettermen off the previ- game winning streak since 1995. ous year’s squad – the most of any FBS program in America – the Th e 2009 campaign marked his 10th season as a member of Leach’s self-described football “lifer” guided the 2010 Pirates to six wins and staff and second full year as the defensive coordinator. He served the qualifi cation for a fi fth-straight bowl game, an accomplishment un- fi nal nine games of 2007 in that role on an interim basis, before taking precedented in program history. over offi cially in 2008. McNeill, who also coached the linebackers, was While playing one of the top 50 most diffi cult schedules in the regarded as one of the most versatile coaches on the staff and also one country, McNeill’s six victories ranked seventh nationally among all of the most beloved by the Red Raider football team. fi rst-year FBS coaches. In addition, his fi ve league wins stood second His stamp on the Red Raider defense was apparent in 2008 as the - trailing only Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher’s six. unit helped lead Texas Tech to one of the most memorable seasons Capacity crowds at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium were also treated to an in school history. Th e defense ranked fi fth in the Big 12 Conference exciting, high-scoring and prolifi c spread off ensive scheme which lit- in total defense, fourth in scoring defense and third in pass defense. erally enjoyed a record-breaking campaign in 2010 – shattering or at Th e rush defense improved from the previous season by 37 yards per least matching 29 team or individual standards. ECU’s off ense also game. ranked among the nation’s best statistically – fi nishing fi fth in of- Th e defense totaled 34 sacks on the season to rank among the Big fensive redzone effi ciency, sixth in fourth-down conversion percent- 12’s top three. Tech’s push up the middle not only aided in the unit’s EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY 28 2011 FOOTBALL FACT BOOK ability to stop the run, but also contributed to the disruption of the THE RUFFIN McNEILL FILE some of the conference’s more potent off enses. In just nine games as the defensive coordinator in 2007, McNeil COACHING EXPERIENCE: 3rd YEAR ON THE ECU STAFF helped the unit make an overnight transition that paid dividends for 2010-2011 Head Football Coach, the program. While the Red Raiders fi nished third overall in the Big East Carolina University, Greenville, N.C. 12 in total defense, they fi nished fi rst when factoring in only the fi - 2010 (Jan. 2) Interim Head Football Coach, nal nine games of the season for each league institution. Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas McNeill’s units steadily improved in each of his last four seasons in 2008-2009 Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator, Lubbock, but no season was more evident than 2007. Led by the men Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas up front to the guys in the back, the Red Raiders’ defense assisted in 2007 Assistant Head Coach/Interim Defensive Tech’s 26 sacks to its 10 interceptions. Coordinator/Defensive Tackles Coach, His leadership as special teams coordinator until 2008 took the unit to a new level. Known as the “Little Engine that Could,” current Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas New England Patriot Wes Welker set NCAA records in career punt 2003-2006 Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator/ returns, punt return yards and punt returns for touchdowns. Defensive Tackles Coach, Texas Tech University, Placekicker Alex Trlica set NCAA records for career PATs made Lubbock, Texas without a miss (233) and is Tech’s all-time scoring leader for a kicker 2000-2002 Linebackers Coach, Texas Tech University, (371), ranking third on the all-time scoring list. Punter Alex Reyes Lubbock, Texas set a Tech career punt average record with 43.3 yards per punt in 1999 Defensive Line Coach, Fresno State University, 2006, passing former Tech and Chicago Bear great Maury Buford. Fresno, Calif. A charter member of Leach’s initial coaching staff in 2000, McNeill 1998 Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator, began his career at Texas Tech as linebackers coach during the 2000- 02 seasons, before taking over defensive tackles and special teams University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nev. duties in 2003. 1997 Defensive Coordinator, Under his tutelage, middle linebacker Lawrence Flugence rose to University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nev. national prominence, setting an NCAA record with 193 tackles in 1996 Summer Intern, Miami Dolphins, Miami, Fla. 2002. A seventh-round NFL Draft pick in 2005, linebacker Mike 1993-1996 Defensive Coordinator, Appalachian State Smith honed his skills under McNeill during his fi rst two seasons, University, Boone, N.C. earning a starting nod midway through his freshman campaign. 1992 Defensive Line Coach, John Saldi also found success as he kicked off his career as the Defen- East Carolina University, Greenville, N.C. sive MVP of the Tangerine Bowl during his freshman season in 2002. 1989-1991 Linebackers Coach, Appalachian State University, McNeill began his coaching career as a defensive coach at Lumber- ton (N.C.) High School from 1980-84, before taking his fi rst colle- Boone, N.C. giate position as a graduate assistant coaching linebackers at Clem- 1988 Linebackers Coach, North Alabama University, son during the 1985-86 seasons. Th e Tigers won the Atlantic Coast Florence, Ala. Conference title in 1986 and advanced to the Gator Bowl, a year after 1987 Linebackers Coach, Austin Peay University, appearing in the Independence Bowl. Clarksville, Tenn. Following one-year stints at Austin Peay State and North Alabama 1985-1986 Graduate Assistant Coach/Linebackers, as linebackers coach, McNeill spent three seasons on the mountain Clemson University, Clemson, S.C. at Appalachian State, where the team won the Southern Conference 1980-1984 Assistant Coach/Defense, title in 1991. In his fi rst tour of duty at ASU, the school appeared Lumberton High School, Lumberton, N.C. in the NCAA Division I-AA playoff s each season. He returned to the Boone, N.C., program after a year as defensive line coach at East Car- olina, in 1992. As defensive coordinator at Appalachian State from PLAYING EXPERIENCE: 1993-96, the team won the 1995 Southern Conference title and com- 1976-1979 Four-year letterwinner, defensive back, peted in the NCAA Division I-AA playoff s at the conclusion of the East Carolina University, Greenville, N.C. 1994-96 regular seasons. 1972-1975 Th ree-year letterwinner, defensive back, McNeill tapped the professional ranks for experience, working as Lumberton High School, Lumberton, N.C. a summer intern with the Miami Dolphins in 1996. From there he went to UNLV in 1997 and 1998 as defensive coordinator both sea- EDUCATION: sons and assistant head coach in 1998. 1987 M.A. in secondary counseling, A four-year letterwinner at East Carolina from 1976-80, McNeill was a three-year starter at defensive back and was the team captain Clemson University, Clemson, S.C. for two seasons. He helped lead ECU to the Southern Conference 1980 B.A. in education, East Carolina University, Championship in 1976 and an Independence Bowl berth in 1978 - Greenville, N.C. the school’s fi rst in what is recognized as the modern era. He gradu- ated from East Carolina in 1980 with a bachelor’s degree in educa- PERSONAL DATA: tion and earned a master’s degree in secondary counseling from Full Name: Ruffi n Horne McNeill Clemson in 1987. Age: 52 McNeill, 52, and his wife, Erlene, have two daughters, Renata (30) Born: October 9, 1958 at Lumberton, N.C. and Olivia (21). Olivia is a senior at Appalachian State. Wife: the former Erlene Wright of Hallsboro, N.C. Children: Renata (10/22/80) and Olivia (04/18/90) EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY 29 2011 FOOTBALL FACT BOOK Assistant Coaches In addition to the 87 all-league selections, Wiley also mentored sev- John Wiley en ASU defensive backs who earned All-America honors, including Associate Head Coach/ 2008 and 2009 consensus fi rst-team pick Mark LeGree who netted Inside Linebackers Coach a combined 17 interceptions during those respective campaigns.