Dale Steele - Football Coach - East Carolina University Athletics

Dale Steele

Title:
Director of Football Administration
Email:
steelep18@ecu.edu
Phone:
(252) 737-4570

Dale Steele returned to East Carolina University for his third stint on Dec. 7, 2018 as director of football administration.

Prior to his re-appointment on the Pirates’ staff, Steele served in the same role at James Madison University under head coach Mike Houston. During the 2016 season, he took over as the recruiting coordinator.

Steele came to Harrisonburg with a wealth of football knowledge, after nearly four decades of experience, ranging from football administration to a head coaching position at the Football Championship Subdivision level.

Prior to that, Steele was director of football administration for three seasons at ECU (2013-15) where he oversaw on-campus recruiting and program marketing, as well as being the liaison with the department’s compliance and student development divisions. This was his second stretch with the Pirates, having served as wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator for six seasons (1989-94). Before ECU, Steele spent the spring season as the offensive coordinator at Gardner-Webb (2013).

Before his brief stint at GWU, he helped resurrect the Campbell football program in 2006 after a 50-year hiatus, guiding the Fighting Camels as the head coach for five seasons (2008-12). After winning just seven games over the first three seasons, Steele guided Campbell to its first winning season in 2011 with a 6-5 overall record, which included a 5-3 mark in the Pioneer League to finish fourth in the conference standings. In three of his seasons at the helm, Campbell ranked amongst the Top 20 rushing leaders in FCS.

Steele’s additional collegiate coaching stops included Elon, ETSU, Baylor, Kansas State, Wichita State, Tulane, Wisconsin and Ball State. The Prattville, Ala., native played football for three seasons at South Carolina, earning his bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1976. He also earned a master’s degree in physical education from Ball State in 1978.

He is married to the former Pamela Kilpatrick of Prattville and they are the parents of two daughters - Meghan Penny (married to Triton High School head coach Ben Penny) and Kelsey Hearrell (married to Tony Hearrell) - and two granddaughters (Emery Penny, Fenley Grace Hearrell).