J.P. Gunter - Football Coach - East Carolina University Athletics

J.P. Gunter

Title:
Director of Player Personnel and Recruiting
Email:
gunterj19@ecu.edu
Phone:
(252) 737-4570

J.P. Gunter is in his third season as East Carolina's director of player personnel and recruiting, a position he accepted on Jan. 7, 2019.

Gunter's arrival in Greenville followed a nine-year stay at The Citadel, which included eight full-time seasons coordinating the program's special teams and recruiting efforts. In 2015, he helped the Bulldogs capture their first Southern Conference championship since 1992 and earn a subsequent FCS Playoff appearance during Mike Houston's final year as head coach before following with another title and postseason showing in 2016.

In all, Gunter's recruiting leadership provided The Citadel with 58 All-SoCon selections, seven All-America performers and two league defensive player-of-the-year nods. In the classroom, three of his recruits earned Academic All-America distinction. In addition to actively recruiting a six-state area (South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Texas), Gunter was responsible for coordinating all of the Bulldogs' summer prospect and youth camps.

After initially joining The Citadel staff as a graduate assistant quality control analyst working with the special teams unit in 2010, Gunter later held coaching assignments with the Bulldogs' wide receivers and A-backs. He spent the previous year as the offensive line coach, running game coordinator and special teams coordinator at the University of Pikeville (Ky.), where he recruited student-athletes from eight states.

Gunter began his coaching career at alma mater Lenoir-Rhyne in 2007 as a graduate assistant offensive line and tight ends coach before serving as the Bears' outside linebackers coach, camp coordinator and academic liaison a year later.

A four-year letterman at LR from 2003-06, Gunter started at center for three seasons, served as a team captain and was an All-South Atlantic Conference selection.

A native of Irmo, S.C., Gunter earned his bachelor's degree in sports management with a minor in business administration in 2007. He completed his graduate certification in sports administration from The Citadel in 2011.

Gunter and his wife Megan are the parents of two sons - Turner and Leo.