Earlier today, Mike Houston was fired as head football coach at East Carolina University. Houston's record at East Carolina was 27-38 overall.
Mike Houston was the head football coach at East Carolina for five
seasons plus seven games this season. Here is a
look at the East Carolina Pirates football team since 2008 (the year
in which the data I use to model FBS production starts). Other than head football coach Mike Houston, the other head football coaches at East Carolina during this time period were Scottie Montgomery (2016-2018); Ruffin McNeill (2010-2015) and Skip Holtz (2005-2009). As you will
notice, East Carolina was fairly average to below average during Houston's tenure.
Below is the East Carolina Pirates production rank (total, offense, defense) since 2008 using the Complex Invasion College Football Production Model from the data provided from www.cfbstats.com. More details about
the program under Houston is
provided below.
Mike Houston [2019 - 2024*] original contract
2019East Carolina finished the regular season at 4-8 overall (with two of those wins against FCS schools). The Pirates played against an “easier”
strength
of schedule (SOS); meaning that East Carolina's SOS was between one
and two standard deviation greater than the "leagues" average SOS. East Carolina's best
regular season victory was against #118 ranked Old Dominion by a score of (24-21)
and their worst
loss was to #116 ranked North Carolina State by a score of (6-34).
East Carolina was the #100 ranked team overall, with the #71 ranked
offense and the #115 ranked defense using the
Complex Invasion College Football Production Model from the data provided from
www.cfbstats.com.
2020 East Carolina finished the
COVID-19 shortened regular season at 3-6 overall. The Pirates played against an “average”
strength
of schedule (SOS); meaning that East Carolina's SOS was plus or minus one standard deviations of the "leagues" average SOS. East Carolina's best
regular season victory was against #22 ranked SMU by a score of (52-38)
and their worst
loss was to #117 ranked Navy by a score of (23-27).
East Carolina was the #96 ranked team overall, with the #55 ranked
offense and the #111 ranked defense using the
Complex Invasion College Football Production Model from the data provided from
www.cfbstats.com.
2021
The Pirates finished the regular season at 7-5,while playing against an “average”
strength
of schedule (SOS). East Carolina's best win
was against #36 ranked Marshall by a
score of (42-38) and their worst loss was to #92 ranked South Carolina by a
score of (17-20).
East Carolina was the #86 ranked team overall, with the #83 ranked
offense and the #82 ranked defense using the
Complex Invasion College Football Production Model from the data provided from
www.cfbstats.com.
2022
The Pirates finished the regular season at 7-5, while playing against an “average”
strength
of schedule (SOS). This season they played in a post-season bowl game where they defeated #89 Coastal Carolina (53-29). East Carolina's best win
was against #38 ranked UCF by a
score of (34-13) and their worst loss was to #86 ranked Navy by a
score of (20-23).
East Carolina was the #42 ranked team overall, with the #27 ranked
offense and the #83 ranked defense using the
Complex Invasion College Football Production Model from the data provided from
www.cfbstats.com.
2023
East Carolina finished the regular season at 2-10, while playing against an “average”
strength
of schedule (SOS). The Pirates's
best win
was against #86 ranked Florida Atlantic by a
score of (22-7) and their worst loss was to #122 ranked Tulsa by a
score of (27-29).
East Carolina was the #114 ranked team overall, with the #133 ranked
offense and the #40 ranked defense using the
Complex Invasion College Football Production Model from the data provided from
www.cfbstats.com.
2024*
Head
coach Houston was fired after the seventh game of the season and the Pirates had a 3-4 at that time. The Pirates played against an “average”
strength
of schedule (SOS); meaning that East Carolina's SOS was plus or
minus one
standard deviation from the "leagues" average SOS through week 7 of the
season. At this point in the season, East Carolina's best win was against
#93 ranked Old Dominion by a score of (20-14).
At the end of week 7, East Carolina was the #109 ranked team overall, with the #89 ranked
offense and the #106 ranked defense using the
Complex Invasion College Football Production Model from the data provided from
www.cfbstats.com.
