McNeill To Be Honored By Robeson County
April 06, 2010 | Football
April 6, 2010
GREENVILLE, N.C. - East Carolina Head Football Coach Ruffin McNeill is among six individuals who will be inducted into the Robeson (N.C.) County Sports Hall of Fame later this month according to a recent release by the selection committee.
McNeill, who also starred as a four-year Pirate letterman in the late 1970s and served an earlier stint as an assistant coach on the ECU staff, will officially be honored during a banquet inside the University Center Annex on the UNC Pembroke campus Sunday, April 18.
After excelling in three sports at Lumberton High School and participating in the annual East-West All-Star Game, McNeill played defensive back for coach Pat Dye during a four-year span that produced 33 victories. He also helped lead ECU to a Southern Conference title in 1976 and an Independence Bowl berth in 1978 - the school's first in what is recognized as the modern era.
The two-year Pirate team captain then began a coaching career that currently spans 30 years, beginning with an assistant's position at his prep alma mater. McNeill went on to coach at Clemson, Austin Peay, North Alabama, East Carolina, Appalachian State, UNLV, Fresno State and Texas Tech in the collegiate ranks.
He served on the Tech staff for 10 years and became the program's assistant head coach and defensive coordinator before leading the Red Raiders to a victory over Michigan State in the 2010 Valermo Alamo Bowl as their interim head coach.
Three-time East Carolina All-America sprinter and 1988 Olympic Games participant Lee Vernon McNeill, no relation to ECU's football coach, will also be honored along with four others that make up the Hall's second class of inductees: Hampton `Hamp' Coleman (baseball), Pauline Bullard Locklear (basketball), Roy Vaughn (coach), Robert `Greasy' Graham (special contributor).
