GREENVILLE (AP) -- New East Carolina coach Ruffin McNeill says taking over a program that has been to four straight bowl games and won consecutive Conference USA championships will be a "fun challenge."
The school held a news conference Friday for McNeill, who was hired this week after Skip Holtz left to take over at South Florida. McNeill is a North Carolina native who played defensive back for the Pirates from 1976-79, and he was eager to talk about how happy he was to be home.
McNeill spent the past 10 seasons as an assistant at Texas Tech. He also served as interim coach when Mike Leach was suspended then fired just before the Alamo Bowl.
McNeill called East Carolina "a destination job" and said he planned to be at the school for a long time.
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