2024-25 CFB coaching carousel

East Carolina decides to stick with what's been working.

Chris Vannini: "SOURCE: East Carolina is planning to promote interim coach Blake Harrell to the full-time job, pending board approval, @theathletic.bsky.social has learned. Harrell is 4-0 as interim head coach after taking over for Mike Houston. Players this weekend began calling for him to get the job." — Bluesky

 

That should say “permanent” instead of “fulltime.” If he’s interim head coach, that’s a fulltime though not permanent job.

 

It's not exactly permanent, either.
He'll be the official head coach, then?

 

Sometimes, these battlefield promotions work out. Georgia Tech seems to be getting back to relevance, for example. But this probably wasn't the original plan.

 

Very true. And it's hard to tell how this one will go, but I think the thought process is correct. He was asked to lead the program in a tough spot and proved he could do it, why not give him a chance if the players are responding to him?

 

Dabo Swinney was expected to play out the string after Tommy Bowden escaped one step ahead of the posse at Clemson.

 

Yeah. But East Carolina hasn't really played anyone of note since Jon Gilbert fired Houston.

Also, how much money will Gilbert and the athletic department – which has to fork over $3M to send Houston on his way ... and this isn't a Power 4 program – save by promoting Harrell vs. going through a more traditional hiring process?

Having said all that, it's a popular move in the eyes of the players.