Short answer
ECU first played football in 1932. It has won seven conference titles (most recently Conference USA in 2008 and 2009), has a 12-11 bowl record, and its best season was 1991: 11-1, finished with a 37-34 Peach Bowl win over NC State (Wikipedia; 1991 season).
Timeline
- 1932: first season, 0-5 under Kenneth Beatty.
- 1941: the program’s only unbeaten season under John Christenbury.
- 1952 and 1953: first bowl trips (Lions Bowl, Elks Bowl) under Jack Boone; the 1953 team won the North State Conference.
- 1963: Ficklen Memorial Stadium opens. Clarence Stasavich’s teams win three straight bowls (1963 to 1965).
- 1970: first game in the NC State series. ECU’s win over Marshall that year was the last game for the Marshall team lost in the Southern Airways Flight 932 crash; a plaque outside the visitors’ locker room remembers them.
- 1972, 1973 and 1976: Southern Conference titles under Sonny Randle and Pat Dye.
- 1991: 11-1 under Bill Lewis, ending with the Peach Bowl win on January 1, 1992.
- 1997: joins Conference USA. Steve Logan (1992 to 2002) leaves as the winningest coach in school history.
- 2007: 41-38 Hawaii Bowl win over Boise State.
- 2008 and 2009: back-to-back Conference USA titles under Skip Holtz.
- 2013: 10-3, capped by a Beef O Brady’s Bowl win.
- 2014: moves to the American.
- 2022: record crowd of 51,711 for NC State; Birmingham Bowl win over Coastal Carolina.
- 2024 and 2025: Military Bowl wins over NC State and Pittsburgh under Blake Harrell.
Retired numbers
Wikipedia lists four retired jerseys: Robert Farris and Norman Swindell, who died while on the team, and record-setters James Speight and Roger Thrift (Wikipedia).
Pirates in the NFL
Notable names include quarterback David Garrard (Jacksonville Jaguars), running back Chris Johnson (first round, 2008, Tennessee Titans) and Roger Thrift, the program’s first draft pick (1951).
More: every bowl game, every head coach, rivalries.
Questions fans ask
What was ECU football’s best season?
1991: 11-1 under Bill Lewis, ending with a 37-34 Peach Bowl win over NC State on January 1, 1992.
How many conference championships has ECU won?
Seven: North State Conference 1953; Southern Conference 1966 (shared), 1972, 1973 and 1976; Conference USA 2008 and 2009.
Sources
Last checked October 29, 2026. Kickoff times, TV and stadium rules can change; ECU Athletics posts the final word each game week.