Bringing in Mike Houston from James Madison to be the new head football coach at ECU is a major league move from the Pirate administration in Greenville.

In doing so they hope to heal a fractured fanbase, improve the overall product, fill the seats again as has been a longstanding tradition at ECU and get back to winning football games.

After new Director of Athletics Jon Gilbert introduced Houston to a large crowd of alumni, donors and members of the local and regional press that assembled in Murphy Center on the campus of ECU on Tuesday, Coach Houston talked about ECU tradition and his hopes for the immediate future of Pirate football.

"This is a place that I'm excited to be the head football coach at. This is a place I wanted to be the head coach at. Growing up in the state of North Carolina, I know the history and tradition of East Carolina football," Houston said.

"Being a high school player in the late 80's and early 90's and transitioning on to a college football player in the state at Mars Hill University in the early to mid 90's, I remember what ECU football was during that time period."

"I remember the Peach Bowl team that was as good as anybody in the country. A close friend of mine was an inside linebacker on that football team," said Houston, "I remember the tradition that carried on through the coming years all the way into the 2000's."

PirateIllustrated.com was there to bring you complete audio of the day's event as well as premium interviews and much more on the PI FRONT PAGE.

PI AUDIO: JON GILBERT INTRODUCES MIKE HOUSTON WHO TAKES QUESTIONS & MORE