An Update From AD Jon Gilbert | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: This post appears here courtesy of ECU Sports.



    Pirate Nation:

    We are thrilled to welcome Michael Schwartz to the Pirate family as men's basketball head coach along with his wife Stephanie and children, Sydney and Samantha. This is an exciting day for our basketball program and Pirate Nation.

    You can read the full press release here.

    Mike is highly regarded in the basketball industry, and we are fortunate to have him on board to lead our program forward. He has spent the past 22 years as an assistant from coast to coast, holding jobs at Texas, Long Beach State, Texas-San Antonio, Miami (Fla.), Fresno State, Tulsa and the last six seasons at Tennessee.

    Over the past five seasons, Schwartz has helped Tennessee to an 118-45 record, four straight NCAA Tournament appearances, an SEC Tournament Championship and regular season title. Mike will remain with Tennessee during the NCAA Tournament, and we will officially welcome him with a public event after he arrives in Greenville.

    When we made the change in leadership, we wanted to move quickly but efficiently. The goal was to find the right fit and partnership, and Mike has all the intangibles we were looking for as a head coach and it became clear he was the right fit to lead our program. I worked with Mike for a couple years during my stint at Tennessee and have watched his development as a coach.

    Anyone you speak to about Mike will mention his infectious personality, endless enthusiasm and positive energy. He's going to emphasize accountability, academics, player development, and he will be engaged with our student body, staff, community and surrounding region as we strive for long-term success of our program.

    Recruiting is the lifeblood of any program and Mike has been a great evaluator on the recruiting trail for more than 20 years. During his career he has played a major role in the development of 15 players who have gone on to play in the NBA, including five draft picks in the last three years.

    Mike made it very clear Greenville is where he wants to be. He's had numerous opportunities to lead a program in the past and we are excited he is now a Pirate. From Day One, Mike will show a genuine commitment to our student-athletes on and off the court and be a mentor for all of them moving forward.

    We are looking forward to Pirate Nation meeting Mike soon.

    Go Pirates!

    Jon