Clarence Stasavich

Image source: ECU football coach Clarence Stasavich

Clarence Stasavich’s impressive accomplishments as head football coach and later as athletic director at East Carolina College make him one of the most important figures in the program’s history. Born in Georgetown, Illinois, Stasavich played football at Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, North Carolina earning all-conference honors in football and basketball. After serving in the Navy with distinction during World War II, he returned to Lenoir-Rhyne as head football coach and athletic director in 1946. Stasavich’s tenure with the Bears received national recognition. His overall record of 120-37-7 elevated Lenoir-Rhyne football to its highest level of prominence.

Stasavich received multiple head-coaching offers during his sixteen years at Lenoir-Rhyne, but declined them, telling Sports Illustrated that he did not want “(to be) mostly a football administrator.” Nevertheless when President Leo Jenkins offered him the position as head coach at ECC in 1961, Stasavich accepted. Jenkins was convinced that a successful athletic program would advance East Carolina’s reputation as a premier institution. Jenkins’ initiatives produced results: Stasavich quickly fielded winning teams that were showcased in the new James S. Ficklen Memorial Stadium.

Stasavich’s tenure at ECC brought greatness to Pirate football. With his signature single-wing offense, the Pirates won three consecutive bowl games (1963, 1964, 1965). Following East Carolina’s 14-13 win over the University of Massachusetts in the 1964 Tangerine Bowl, Stasavich was named NCAA College Division Coach of the Year. In his nine-year tenure as East Carolina’s head football coach, Stasavich compiled an outstanding record of 50-27-1, three bowl game wins, and the 1966 Southern Conference Championship. In 1969, Stasavich was the third-winningest active coach in the country, ranked behind Bear Bryant of Alabama and Johnny Vaught of Ole Miss. His devotion to the Southern Conference resulted in that league's annual football championship trophy being named the Clarence Stasavich Memorial Trophy. Stasavich was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1970, the ECU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1976, and the National Association of Directors of Athletics Hall of Fame in 1977.

Stasavich was named athletic director in 1963, a post he held until his death in 1975. Although he served as head coach and athletic director for several seasons, poor performances in the 1968 and 1969 seasons convinced Stasavich that the two positions needed to be separated. As a result, Stasavich remained as athletic director and Mike McGee was hired as head football coach. Despite subsequent flux in the head coaching position, the Pirates continued to perform well under Stasavich’s stable leadership as athletic director.

While serving as athletic director, Stasavich died suddenly from a heart attack in 1975. On October 25, 1975, the day after his death, his dream of defeating UNC became a reality as the Pirates honored their former athletic director with a 38-17 victory in Chapel Hill. His death was covered in the East Carolina vs. Furman 1975 football program. Stasavich’s elevation of Pirate football at East Carolina was complete with this first win over the Tar Heels.

Sources

• “Athletic Director at East Carolina University Clarence Stasavich Died Friday.” The Daily Reflector, October 26, 1975.
• Bassine, Bob. “‘Stas’ Still Reaping Rich Harvest.” The Orlando Sentinel, January 14, 1965.
• Brown, Roy. “ECU’s Stasavich Dies of Heart Attack.” The News & Observer, October 25, 1975.
• Bryant, George. “Stasavich Hired as New Head Grid Coach at ECC.” The Daily Reflector, November 27, 1961.
• Carlson, Arthur, Elizabeth Brooke Tolar, and John Allen Tucker. East Carolina University Football. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2016.
• “Clarence Stasavich.” East Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame. http://ecupirates.com/hof.aspx?hof=128. Accessed October 19, 2017.
• “Clarence Stasavich.” Sports Illustrated, January 4, 1960.
• Clarence Stasavich Papers. UA 90-07. University Archives, Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
• East Carolina Football Collection. UA40-01. University Archives, Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC.
• Grosso, Vince. “Stasavich’s Memory Drives ECU Past Heels.” The Evening Telegram, October 26, 1975.
• Ritenour, William M. Pirate Odyssey: A 75 Year History of East Carolina Football, Vol. 1-2. Bloomington, IN: iUniverse, Inc., 2008.
• “Stasavich New ECC Head Football Coach.” The News & Observer, November 26, 1961.

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