McNeill shares about book, life lessons at library event

McNeill shares about book, life lessons at library event

Longtime football coach Ruffin McNeill was introduced in East Carolina University's Joyner Library by Johnnee Rice.

McNeill, an ECU Athletics Hall of Fame member who was head coach of the Pirates for six seasons from 2010 to 2015, was there as featured speaker for the Friends of Joyner Library annual meeting and reception. Rice is president of the Friends of Joyner Library. She also took the moment to reminisce about attending a past summer football clinic at ECU and the lessons she learned that day from McNeill.

"He believes in mentorship and giving back," Rice said. "That's what I remember about Ruffin. Coach Ruff is a caring individual. I learned that because I don't really look like a football person, but when I attended his ladies football clinic, I was lucky. He was a loving mentor, for me, to teach me about football. My husband likes to go to football games and now I don't ask as many questions."

McNeill is known by many people for his long list of football accomplishments as a coach and former ECU player, but his role as featured speaker at the library event also was tied to authoring the children's book, "A Little Pirate's ABCs."

The acronym ABC is one of McNeill's pillars in coaching, mentoring and teaching - Avoid Bad Company.

"ABCs was taught to me early, in Lumberton, because you had a chance to take a left or the right," he said. "I'm very fortunate that I had people in my neighborhood that made sure I took the right way. … That's what I talk to my players about is in your neighborhood and in the community is to be a leader and protecter."

McNeill taught and coached at Lumberton High School before beginning his college football coaching career in 1985 at Clemson.

After McNeill's remarks, Wahl-Coates Elementary School exceptional children teacher and autism center-based educator William Warren was presented with the Ruffin McNeill Educator Character Award. Friends of Joyner Library board member Dr. Elizabeth Swaggerty, professor and chair of the ECU Department of Literacy Studies and Special Education, described Warren as an advocate for perseverance, confidence and positive decision-making, adding that Warren's work reflects McNeill's book of being a positive influence and having determination and responsibility in actions.

"It's all about meeting what each kid needs and helping them to close the gap and try to make more progress," Warren said of his teaching style. "It's extremely rewarding. I went out to the Special Olympics this year and saw some kids who were previously with me and now they're in middle school. To see how much growth they've made and they're continuing with the process, from a kid who wouldn't speak words is out there running around and talking to other kids. You can see the growth they are making."

McNeill currently serves as a special assistant to head football coach Dave Doeren at N.C. State, although when he was head coach for the Pirates, he had a knack for rallying ECU to memorable wins over the Wolfpack and other regional Atlantic Coast Conference opponents.

ECU went 4-0 combined against N.C. State and North Carolina under McNeill from 2013-16. ECU's 2013 team finished with a 10-3 record, highlighted by wins over UNC, NCSU and a Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl victory over Ohio, for the second 10-win season in school history.

Given the ECU-N.C. State rivalry that dates to their first football matchup in 1970, the library reception included some jokes about red vs. purple.

McNeill was a standout player and two-time team captain for the Pirate football team from 1976-79.

"It was good to be back and to share," McNeill said. "I want to give thanks to Joyner Library and the Friends of Joyner Library. There are a lot of educators in this group who love reading and learning. I was raised by educators. Teaching relates to coaching so much."

He published "A Little Pirate's ABCs" in 2014 through Taylor Made Publishing and the guidance of Diane Taylor, current board member with the Friends of Joyner Library.

"I told the story to Diane, and she took it from there," McNeill said. "When I met Miss Diane, it was a godsend to get me on the direction of sharing something I never knew I would do. That was writing a book. So, Diane, thank you so much."

The Friends of Joyner Library is the oldest friends group at ECU. It was established in 1978. McNeill and others were featured in a 2023 Joyner exhibit, "No Quarter: The History of East Carolina Football and Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium."

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