College Football Coaching Changes: Ranking the best hires

Jan 3, 2015; Birmingham, AL, USA; A detailed view of the East Carolina Pirates helmet prior to the game against the Florida Gators in the 2015 Birmingham Bowl at Legion Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

22. East Carolina Pirates – Scottie Montgomery replaces Ruffin McNeill

I’m still not sure why East Carolina fired McNeill after going 42-34 in six seasons, including a 10-win season in 2013 and 26 wins over the last three years before slipping to 5-7 in his final year with the Pirates. But the decision was made and ECU had to find a replacement and they found one in Duke Blue Devils associate head coach and wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery.

The 37-year-old Montgomery is a native of Shelby, North Carolina and a former Duke wide receiver who had a cup of coffee in the NFL before getting into coaching. He was the receivers coach at Duke from 2006-2009 before joining Mike Tomlin’s staff with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the same position where he coached for three years before returning to Duke in the same capacity in 2013.

Montgomery added offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach and associate head coach titles in 2014 and working under head coach David Cutcliffe should help Montgomery in his first head coaching gig after leading some of the most successful offenses in Duke history. The expectations will be high for Montgomery as he replaces McNeill who averaged seven wins a year over six seasons.

Next: Nick Rolovich