There will be at least one new coach at North Carolina’s smallest public HBCU as Elizabeth City State is parting ways with its current one.
Elizabeth City State University is parting ways with head football coach Marcus Hilliard. Hilliard announced the move on his X page on Thursday afternoon.
“Although things didn’t always go as planned, I made it my mission to leave this place better than I found it -and I truly believe I have done that,” Hilliard said in his lengthy statement. “You owe me nothing, and yet I am eternally thankful for everything I’ve experienced here.”
Elizabeth City State AD James DuBose spoke to HBCU Gameday about the move.
“We’re grateful for all he’s contributed to the ECSU athletic department, the football program and his beloved alma mater. We appreciate everything done and we wish him well in his continued journey.”
Hilliard was hired as the head coach at his HBCU in December 2021. He was also reportedly seriously considered for the head coaching vacancy at Winston-Salem State University. He chose to go to ECSU, which had not had a winning season since 2012.
ECSU went 2-8 in Hilliard’s first year, then improved to 3-7 during his sophomore campaign in 2023. That include a win over previously unbeaten Virginia State. That win would be the apex of his time at ECSU as the team finished with three wins again, losing six games in a row before a 27-21 win over Bluefield State. Hilliard went 8-22 in three seasons at ECSU.
Dubose says a national search for the HBCU’s next head coach is under way.