East Carolina Names Rick Stockstill Offensive Coordinator

Feb. 26, 2003

GREENVILLE, N.C. — Rick Stockstill, who has served as an assistant coach at Clemson University for the past 14 years, has been named offensive coordinator at East Carolina University, ECU head coach John Thompson announced today. The hiring of Stockstill completes the first ECU staff for Thompson, whotook over the Pirate program this past December. Stockstill will also serve as quarterbacks coach.

Stockstill has served at Clemson for the past 14 seasons, most recently as the Tigers’ wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator. He brings a reputation as one of the top recruiters in the country, as evidenced by a top 10 recruiting class in 2001, which included the top group of receivers in the nation. During his tenure with Clemson, he has also held positions of quarterbacks coach, passing game coordinator, and co-offensive coordinator.

Prior to arriving at Clemson in 1989, he served three seasons as assistant head coach/wide receivers coach at Central Florida. He was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Bethune-Cookman in 1983-84.

“We are very excited to be getting a guy that has such a great background and experience in coaching, recruiting and winning. We’ve got us a winner,” Thompson said. “What he brings to the table will do nothing but add to our program. We’re excited about the addition of Coach Stockstill and his family to the Pirate football family.”

At Clemson, Stockstill has helped the Tigers advance to bowl games in 11 of his 14 seasons with the program. The Tiger offense has established over 80 school records over the past three years, including high marks for season passing yardage and completions. Notable players who have excelled under Stockstill’s guidance include receiver Rod Gardner, who shattered Clemson’s career reception record and went on to become the No. 15 selection of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins; Tony Horne, who was a Belitnikoff Award semifinalist in 1977 with a record 70 receptions; and Shawn Jefferson, who starred at Central Florida in the mid-1980s then played a decade with the NFL’s New England Patriots.

Stockstill has worked under four different Clemson head coaches-Danny Ford, Ken Hatfield, Tommy West, and Tommy Bowden-and has recruited 10 players who have been drafted in the last eight years.

He is a 1982 graduate of Florida State University, where he was a three-year letterman for the Seminoles. As a member of Bobby Bowden’s second recruiting class, he made three bowl trips and was selected to play in two all-star games after his senior season. In 1981, Stockstill was the team captain and was named an honorable mention All-American by The Sporting News. He helped Florida State to two top-10 AP rankings and wins over perennial powers Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Ohio State, and Nebraska during his career.

Quote from Clemson Head Coach Rick Stockstill “Clemson has been to a bowl game 11 of the last 14 years and Rick Stockstill has certainly had a lot to do with that. He has meant a great deal to this program in terms of coaching, representing the University and recruiting. He has had a positive effect on many young men and the coaches with whom he has worked.

“Most head coaches reach their goal by becoming a coordinator first. Rick hopes to be a head coach some day, so it is important to make this move at this point in his career. He will do an outstanding job at East Carolina.

“We wish Rick, his wife Sara and their children Brent and Emily the best. They have been a real asset to the Clemson community.”