FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
GREENVILLE, N.C. – East Carolina University has announced an extension of head baseball coach Billy Godwin’s contract, which will secure his position through the 2014 season. The new agreement, approved Friday by the University’s Board of Trustees and announced by ECU Director of Athletics Terry Holland, will add three years to his existing contract that was set to expire June 30, 2011.
Godwin has guided the Pirates to three consecutive NCAA Regional appearances in four seasons, and in 2009, led ECU to its first Super Regional since 2004 after claiming the Greenville Regional title at Clark-LeClair Stadium. In addition, he joined Keith LeClair on a short list of East Carolina coaches to record three-straight 40-plus win seasons after posting a league-best 46-20 mark last spring that also included a Conference USA regular season crown.
"Coach Godwin’s teams have achieved a great deal of success on the baseball field, but just as importantly, he and his program have embraced both East Carolina University’s values and Coach Keith LeClair’s vision for ECU Baseball," Holland said. "The coaching staff and players represent the best of intercollegiate athletics in all they do and make us proud every time they take the field. We are pleased to do everything we can to keep Billy Godwin as our coach – he is a perfect fit for this institution."
His 2009 squad spent 19 consecutive weeks in the national polls and ranked as one of the most prolific offenses in the nation – finishing with a NCAA-best 814 hits and standing among national leaders in runs (4th/565), doubles (6th/154), home runs (7th/108), slugging percentage (12th/.546) and batting average (15th/.339). For the third consecutive season, the Pirates topped Conference USA in home runs after belting a school-record 108 to follow 89 and 68 round-tripper totals in 2008 and 2007, respectively.
The 2009 C-USA Keith LeClair Coach-of-the-Year honoree has tutored 25 all-conference performers and four various player-of-the-year selections, and produced a total of 15 Major League Baseball draft choices since 2006.
"I would like to thank (ECU Chancellor) Dr. Ballard, Terry Holland and the Board of Trustees for their support and outstanding leadership," Godwin said. "I am humbled and honored to be the head baseball coach at East Carolina. The commitment to our baseball program is phenomenal from our administration to our loyal Pirate fans. Our coaching staff is very excited about the future of Pirate Baseball and the continued ability to compete for championships."
Godwin, who was elevated to the head coaching position during the fall of 2005 after a brief tenure as an assistant, has compiled an overall record of 161-90 as East Carolina’s skipper.
