Pat Dye Era: "Love, Respect and Pride" | Eastern NC Now

Publisher's note: This post appears here courtesy of the news and information section for East Carolina University men's and women's sports.


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    GREENVILLE, N.C.     East Carolina University and the entire Pirate Athletics community mourns the loss of Pat Dye, who passed away Monday at the age of 80.

    ECU enjoyed unparalleled success during Dye's six seasons as head coach from 1974 to 1979, which also included the program's rise to the Division I level in 1977 and its first modern era bowl appearance and win a year later.

    Dye's 48-18-1 record translated into eight victories per year, which stands first in the team's head coaching history dating back to its initial season in 1932. Additionally, his winning percentage of .724 ranks as the highest of any Pirate football coach whose tenure exceeded two seasons.

    The Pirates won at least seven contests in all six campaigns he directed, including a pair of nine-victory seasons in 1976 and 1978 that resulted in a Southern Conference title and an Independence Bowl championship, respectively.

    Twenty-two of Dye's players earned All-Southern Conference honors from 1974 to 1976 before East Carolina made the transition to Division I. Four Pirates — Jim Bolding, Cary Godette, Wayne Inman and Danny Kepley — were Associated Press All-America selections under his guidance.

    "I loved and respected that man," said Vern Davenport, who earned two letters as a split end under Dye and currently serves as chair of the ECU Board of Trustees. "He gave many of us a chance that others would not. Those from that era take great pride in having the opportunity and privilege to play for Coach Dye.

    "He made a positive impact on us all. We were brothers then and we're still brothers today! Coach Dye loved East Carolina."

    Dye followed his success at East Carolina with a one-year stay at Wyoming before leading Auburn to a 99-39-4 record in 12 seasons from 1981 to 1992. He captured at least a share of SEC championships in 1983, 1987, 1988 and 1989 and his Tigers won at least 10 games in a season four times and were victorious in six bowls.

    He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005 and entered the ECU Athletics Hall of Fame a year later.

    "The last time I saw Coach Dye was when he returned to Greenville for the North Carolina-East Carolina game in 2014," Davenport added. "He addressed the players before the game and told them they were living his dream by seeing UNC playing football in Greenville. He was here to watch one of the most outstanding games in Pirate history, and to see the beautiful purple sunset that presented itself as the victory concluded, was an appropriate way to honor Coach Dye on his last trip to ECU."

    Memorial gifts may be made to the ECU Educational Foundation (Pirate Club) for the Coach Pat Dye Scholarship Endowment, ECU Ward Sports Medicine Building, Suite 304, Greenville, NC 27858-4353