Edward “Ed” Harrell Emory

Image source: ECU Athletics Hall of Fame

A native of Lancaster, South Carolina, Ed Emory graduated from East Carolina College in 1960, with a bachelor’s degree in social studies and physical education. In addition to being a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha social fraternity, Emory was an outstanding three-year varsity football player (offensive lineman), 1958-1960, under ECC Coach Jack Boone. In recognition of his outstanding performance, Emory was named an All-Conference guard his senior year.

After completing a master’s degree at East Carolina, Emory went on to coach high school football for 13 years before taking a succession of assistant coach positions at the collegiate level at Wake Forest, Clemson, Duke, and Georgia Tech.

In 1980, following Pat Dye’s departure, Emory was hired as East Carolina University’s head football coach. According to Emory, the ECU position was a dream job for him. Three years later, in 1983, Emory led the Pirates to a historic 8–3 season. That year, the team was ranked #20 in the Associated Press final national poll. Emory was abruptly fired by ECU Chancellor John Howell and Athletic Director Ken Karr in December 1984 following a bad year (2-9) combined with personal conflicts with Karr. Art Baker, former associate coach to Emory at East Carolina in 1983, was hired as head coach. Emory filed a $1.2 million lawsuit with ECU which was settled for $139,000 in November 1986.

Following a brief stint in professional football with the Memphis Showboats in the United States Football League, Emory spent the remainder of his career coaching high school teams. Emory was inducted into the ECU Hall of Fame in 2003. Between 2001 and 2006, Emory was head coach of the Richmond Senior High School football team, the Raiders, and went 77-7, with three regional championship games.

Sources

• Cherubini, Ron. “A Pirate Forsaken: The End of a Dream.” Pirate Time Machine No. 27 (2002). https://bonesville.net/Articles/RonCherubini/PirateTimeMachine/2004/Emory/Sidebar1.htm
• Cherubini, Ron. “Ed Emory: Now & Then, Catchin’ Up With a Pirate Hall of Famer.” Pirate Time Machine No. 27 UPDATE. https://bonesville.net/Articles/RonCherubini/PirateTimeMachine/2004/Emory/061904_Emory_Update.htm
• Cherubini, Ron. “The ’83 team: A picture of the future of Pirate football.” Pirate Time Machine No. 27 UPDATE. https://bonesville.net/Articles/RonCherubini/PirateTimeMachine/2004/Emory/Sidebar2.htm
• Cherubini, Ron. “Ed Emory: ‘Life ain’t been fair to Ed Emory,’ but it’s been a good one.” Pirate Time Machine No. 27 UPDATE. https://bonesville.net/Articles/RonCherubini/PirateTimeMachine/2004/Emory/061904_Emory_PTM.htm
• “Coach Ed Emory leads team onto field.” University Archives 55.01.00.372. J. Y. Joyner Library. East Carolina University. Greenville, N.C. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/17462
• Diaz, Jaime. “Loud new voice in Carolina.” Sports Illustrated. October 23, 1983. https://www.si.com/vault/1983/10/24/627273/loud-new-voice-in-carolina
• “ECU denies prior info.” Rocky Mount Telegram. January 17, 1986. P. 10.
• “Ed Emory All-Conference Guard.” Buccaneer. 1959. P. 319. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/15310
• “ECU’s Ed Emory on Talk Of The Town Part 2.” Henry Hinton, interviewer. Sep 25, 2008. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfOikmRWp0A
• “ECU Football Coach.” November 1982. University Archives 55.03.00.15293. J. Y. Joyner Library. East Carolina University. Greenville, N.C. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/51774
• “ECU head football coach Ed Emory.” University Archives 741.45.f. J. Y. Joyner Library. East Carolina University. Greenville, N.C. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/15242
• “Football Coaches.” Aug. 05 1965 – Aug. 07 1965. University Archives 741.37.a.22. J. Y. Joyner Library. East Carolina University. Greenville, N.C. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/8326
• “Player of the Week.” East Carolinian. Vol. 33, no. 7.  October 31, 1957. P. 3. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/38437
• Stinson, Shawn. “Emory was more than a football coach.” Richmond County Daily Journal. July 29, 2015. https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/archive/8228/view-full_story-21345974-article-emory_was_more_than_a_football_coach

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