Ruffin McNeill facts for kids
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|
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Special assistant to the head coach |
| Team | NC State |
| Conference | ACC |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | October 9, 1958 |
| Playing career | |
| 1976–1980 | East Carolina |
| Position(s) | Defensive back |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1980–1984 | Lumberton HS (NC) (assistant) |
| 1985–1986 | Clemson (GA/LB) |
| 1987 | Austin Peay (LB) |
| 1988 | North Alabama (LB) |
| 1989–1991 | Appalachian State (LB) |
| 1992 | East Carolina (DL) |
| 1993–1996 | Appalachian State (DC) |
| 1997 | UNLV (DC) |
| 1998 | UNLV (AHC/DC) |
| 1999 | Fresno State (DC) |
| 2000–2002 | Texas Tech (LB) |
| 2003–2006 | Texas Tech (AHC/ST) |
| 2007 | Texas Tech (AHC/DL) |
| 2008–2009 | Texas Tech (AHC/DC) |
| 2010–2015 | East Carolina |
| 2016 | Virginia (AHC/DL) |
| 2017 | Oklahoma (AHC/DT) |
| 2018 | Oklahoma (AHC/DT/Interim DC) |
| 2019 | Oklahoma (AHC/OLB) |
| 2020–present | NC State (special assistant) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 43–34 |
| Bowls | 2–3 |
Ruffin Horne McNeill Jr. (born October 8, 1958) is an American football coach and former player. He currently works as a special assistant to the head coach at NC State University. This means he helps the main coach with different tasks and strategies.
Before joining NC State, McNeill was an assistant head coach and a coach for different player positions at other big universities. He coached at the University of Oklahoma and the University of Virginia. He also had a big job as the head coach for the East Carolina Pirates from 2010 to 2015.
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Playing Football
Ruffin McNeill played football as a defensive back for the East Carolina Pirates. He played for four years and was a starter for three of those years. He was also chosen as a team captain twice.
In his first year, McNeill helped his team win the 1976 Southern Conference Championship. Two years later, they played in the Independence Bowl. He graduated from East Carolina University in 1980. Later, he earned a master's degree from Clemson.
Coaching Journey
Ruffin McNeill has coached football for many years. He coached at high schools and even spent a summer helping the professional team, the Miami Dolphins. Most of his coaching career has been at the college level, working with different teams across the country.
He has been a coach at places like Clemson, Austin Peay State, North Alabama, Appalachian State, UNLV, Fresno State, and Texas Tech. His first big job as a defensive coordinator was at Appalachian State.
Time at Texas Tech
McNeill started coaching at Texas Tech in 2000. He first coached the linebackers. In 2003, he also became the assistant head coach. This meant he had more responsibilities and helped the main coach even more.
In 2007, he became the interim defensive coordinator. This happened after the previous defensive coordinator left. McNeill helped improve the team's defense a lot during his time there.
In December 2009, the head coach at Texas Tech, Mike Leach, was suspended and then fired. Ruffin McNeill stepped in as the interim head coach. He led the team to a big 41–31 victory in the 2010 Alamo Bowl against the Michigan State Spartans. After the bowl game, a new head coach was hired, and McNeill left the Texas Tech coaching staff.
How the Defense Got Better
When McNeill was in charge of the defense at Texas Tech, the team's defense got much better. They improved in many areas, like how well they stopped passes and how many yards they allowed other teams to gain. They also forced more punts from their opponents. These improvements showed how good McNeill was at coaching defense.
Leading East Carolina
On January 21, 2010, Ruffin McNeill became the head football coach at his old university, East Carolina. He took over after the previous coach left.
His first two seasons were a bit tough, but in 2012, his team had a good record of 8 wins and 5 losses. They even played in the New Orleans Bowl. In 2013, the Pirates had one of their best seasons ever, winning 10 games and losing only 3. They won the 2013 Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl and beat rival teams like North Carolina and North Carolina State.
In 2014, the team finished with 8 wins and 5 losses. On December 4, 2015, McNeill was no longer the head coach after the team finished the season with 5 wins and 7 losses.
Coaching at Oklahoma
On June 14, 2017, McNeill joined the University of Oklahoma as an assistant head coach and defensive tackles coach. In October 2018, he became the interim defensive coordinator for a short time.
When a new defensive coordinator was hired in January 2019, McNeill stayed on the team as an assistant head coach and coached the outside linebackers. He left Oklahoma at the end of the 2019 season.
Joining NC State
On July 7, 2020, Ruffin McNeill was announced as the special assistant to head coach Dave Doeren at NC State. This is his current role, where he helps the head coach with various tasks.
About Ruffin McNeill
Ruffin McNeill is married to Erlene. They have two daughters named Olivia and Renata. He also has one grandchild, Isabella, and a brother named Reggie.
McNeill is a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, which is a social organization.
Images for kids
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Ruffin McNeill
