As nice as it might have been to spend the holidays at home with his family this year, Ruffin McNeill had one overriding sentiment along the way: Don’t get used to it.

The East Carolina football coach has made a custom out of the non-traditional Christmas during his more than three decades in college football. After spending a memorable 10 years on Mike Leach’s Texas Tech staff and then coming to ECU and immediately playing in the Military Bowl at the end of last season, postseasons have become a way of life for McNeill and those closest to him.

“I don’t plan on being home any more Christmases,” said McNeill, whose Pirates finished 5-7 overall and missed the bowl postseason for the first time in five years. “I told my family and the coaching staff, ‘You’d better enjoy this one because we don’t plan on being home for Christmas again.’”

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