An Update From AD Jon Gilbert

Pirate Nation:

This will be the first of many letters I will post on our website as we begin this important journey together. One of our goals as an athletics department is consistent communication. I'm also excited to use this platform to share upcoming events and the great stories taking place with our student-athletes.

It has certainly been a busy time in the athletics department as we incorporate new staff and welcome back our student-athletes for the spring semester. As we forge ahead, our staff is looking at every area to see where we can improve in 2019 and years to come.

It's imperative we ask ourselves very important questions:

What are our strengths as a department?
What areas do we need to focus on for improvements?
What's in our way of comprehensive excellence?
What are the next steps?

Those questions are being answered each day.

I have spent the first couple of weeks of 2019 visiting Pirate fans in Greenville and across several Eastern North Carolina communities. My schedule will include visits to Raleigh, Greensboro, the Outer Banks, Wilmington and Charlotte in the coming weeks.

As we begin a new era of ECU Athletics, we will be making many decisions in an effort to stabilize and sustain forward progress. We will continue to improve upon the many successes which exist within the department and make significant changes to other areas to bring about different outcomes. You will see a renewed emphasis on fan engagement and marketing, a restructured individual and season-ticket pricing structure, the reemergence of several successful events of the past, and the beginning of new traditions such as a revamped Pirate Walk on home football weekends.

I have learned this is a resilient place, and that is in no small part because of you. Pirate Nation is strong, loyal and committed to excellence. Your love for and commitment to ECU is why we will continue to thrive as we move forward.

It's exciting to just see the possibilities.

I want to congratulate all our student-athletes for posting a cumulative fall semester GPA of 3.0 and it's important to recognize the office of student development for their work.

Congratulations are also in order for Nina Baloun, who was named director of football operations at ECU on Monday. Nina is a great addition to the football staff and has previous experience at Houston and Illinois.

Speaking of football, we are working diligently to find a sixth home game. We have spoken to several schools, both FCS and FBS, but nothing has been finalized at this point. Our goal is to release our season-ticket prices in mid-February and our final non-conference opponent should be announced in the coming weeks.

I hope you get an opportunity to come watch our men's and women's basketball teams at Minges Coliseum.

Coach Dooley and his team just returned from a two-game road trip and it's easy to see the progress the team is making heading into the meat of the conference season. The crowd was terrific last night in Minges against a talented Temple team and we need that to be the environment the rest of the year. Just count the amount of times you have seen the Pirates on the floor diving for loose balls, taking charges, and making the unselfish play. How about that home win over Cincinnati? What a special day for those student-athletes and coaches and our fans! When you are building a program like Coach Dooley is, it's important for players to see their hard work paying off.

I can't say enough about our women's basketball team and their resiliency this season. They have faced adversity with changes in staff and on the roster, but they have continued to fight their way to a 10-6 record, including an 8-2 record inside Minges Coliseum. The defense has been suffocating at times, leading the conference and ranking fifth in the country in opponent turnovers per game. Coach Nicole Mealing and her staff have worked hard to keep a level of consistency within the program. They will be back in action at home on Jan. 23 against UCF.

We are less than a month away from the home opener for the ECU baseball team. The Pirates have earned national rankings from D1Baseball (No. 11), Perfect Game (No. 11) and Collegiate Baseball (No. 35).

The weather has been a bit chilly here in Greenville but it hasn't stopped all of our spring sports from getting their workouts in. I have observed softball head coach Courtney Oliver and her team as they began practice. The ECU Softball Stadium playing surface is under construction. I know Coach Oliver is excited about this year's team that returns a number of student-athletes from 2018. The Pirates' season-opening doubleheader is set for Feb. 8 when they face Youngstown State and Miami (Ohio) on the first day of the Spartan Classic on the campus of the University of South Carolina Upstate.

We have great season ticket packages available to choose from and you can do so by utilizing ECU's Online Ticket Center or by contacting the ECU Athletic Ticket Office at (252) 737-4500.

If you have time this weekend, please come check out a couple of our teams in actions. Our swimming and diving programs will host a dual meet on Saturday vs. UMBC at Minges Natatorium, the final home meet of the season. We will be honoring our senior student-athletes prior to the event at 12:40 p.m. with competition getting underway at 1 p.m. Admission and free parking in any Minges lot. Our men's tennis team begins the spring season by hosting James Madison on Sunday at noon and The Citadel at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, with both matches being played at the ECU Indoor Courts at Next Level Training Center.

We are also beginning our Pirate Club renewal program. You can check out information about the Pirate Club at ecupirateclub.com. The Pirate Club is a vital part of our department and allows us to fund scholarships, build or renovate facilities, and continue to give our student-athletes a first-class experience.

Now is the time for us to come together as Pirates as we continue to earn the trust of our proud fan base. Hope to see you on campus soon!

Go Pirates!

Jon

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