Kirkpatrick to lead ECU offense
Coach Donnie Kirkpatrick talks to receiver Zay Jones at East Carolina practice in October of 2013.
By RONNIE WOODWARD
The Daily Reflector
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
Donnie Kirkpatrick is returning to East Carolina’s football program to be the first offensive coordinator for Mike Houston as head coach of the Pirates.
ECU has not made Kirkpatrick’s appointment official, but sources have confirmed that Kirkpatrick is expected to be named offensive coordinator after previously being coordinator under Houston at James Madison.
Houston, who was hired Monday to replace former Pirate head coach Scottie Montgomery, met with current ECU assistants on Wednesday. Others on the James Madison staff are expected to join Kirkpatrick in the move from JMU to the Pirates, which reportedly includes defensive coordinator Bob Trott and former Pirate offensive line coach Steve Shankweiler.
Kirkpatrick was a coach at ECU from 2005-15, including as recruiting coordinator and receivers coach when now-Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley was coordinator of the Pirate offense. Kirkpatrick was hired in January of 2016 as JMU’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, helping prolific QB Bryan Schor and the Dukes win the 2016 Football Championship Subdivision national championship.
He was a frequent fan at East Carolina baseball games the last few seasons. His son Davis, who was a standout football and baseball player at D.H. Conley High School, was a pitcher for the Pirates from 2014-18.
Contact Ronnie Woodward at rwoodward@reflector.com, 252-329-9592 and follow @RonnieW11 on Twitter.
