East Carolina will take the interim tag off of Blake Harrell and make him the full-time head coach, according to multiple reports on Monday. ESPN first reported the news. FootballScoop's John Brice first reported on the possibility of Harrell landing the full-time role last week.
The move is expected to be approved at an ECU board of regents meeting on Wednesday.
Harrell, 45, is 4-0 since he was promoted to replace Mike Houston. The Pirates were 3-4 at the time, and now have a chance to finish in third place in the American Athletic Conference if they defeat Navy on Friday (noon ET, ESPN).
Harrell has been with the program since 2020 as its defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach.
A Western Carolina graduate, Harrell is a North Carolina native who spent the early parts of his career in the North Carolina high school ranks. His first full-time college job was at Lenoir-Rhyne, a Division II school in the state. Harrell then became the defensive coordinator at The Citadel and Kennesaw State before joining Houston's staff at ECU.
In making the move, East Carolina becomes the first FBS school to fill its head coaching post in the 2024-25 cycle.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.