Fresh on the heels of his most successful season at East Carolina, Ruffin McNeill has earned a bump in both pay and “job security” from the university.
ECU revealed Monday that the head coach has reached an agreement on a new contract that added three years to his previous deal, which was set to expire after the 2014 season. McNeill’s extension means he’s signed through June 15, 2018.
Additionally, McNeill’s pay has been increased to $1.15 million plus incentives for the 2013 season. His base salary was doubled to $400,000, with ECU adding in the release that “other compensation incentives include bowl participation, conference championship game appearances and titles, academic progress, television show and percentages of season ticket sales and Pirate Club fundraising dollars.”
Last season, McNeill earned $950,000.
“In my short time here at ECU it is apparent that Coach McNeill is building a football program that will continue to be successful on the field as well as in the classroom and in our community,” athletic director Jeff Compher said in a statement. “He has embraced the concept of comprehensive excellence.
“After this season, we will be transitioning from Conference USA into the new American Athletic Conference. This presents many challenges as well as opportunities and I firmly believe that having continuity and stability in our head coach position will help to ensure our short-term and long-term success. This should send a strong message to recruits as well as our season ticket holders that Coach McNeill has our support to guide our program through this important transition.”
In his three years with the Pirates, McNeill has posted a 19-19 record. Included in that total was an 8-5 season in 2012 that included a tie for first in the Conference USA’s East division and a bowl berth.
The eight-win total was the program’s highest since the 1999 season.
“I am both excited and humbled to be in this privileged position as the head football coach at East Carolina,” the 54-year-old McNeill said. “There’s a lot of work ahead of us, but knowing our administrative leadership team shares and supports our commitment and vision for the future will allow the progress we’ve made in all phases of our program to continue. I’m touched and appreciative by this measure of confidence and we’re certainly looking forward to the opportunity of consistently competing at a championship level on and off the field.”