Connors returning "home" to guide East Carolina Strength and Conditioning

Highly-respected strength coach comes from the same position at UNC-CH

With National Signing Day less than two weeks away, the East Carolina Athletics program and especially the football program receive a huge addition with the naming of Jeff Connors as the new assistant athletic director for strength and conditioning.

Connors, 54, is returning to the program he led from 1991-2000. He spent the last ten seasons in the same position at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

During his time with the Tar Heels, 73 of 77 all-time strength and conditioning records were broken. Connors tutored such standouts as Julius Peppers, Madison Hedgecock, Hakeem Nicks, Ketwan Balmer, and several other NFL talents.

In his previous tenure in Greenville, Connors was a critical ingredient in East Carolina's recipe for success during one of the better decades in the program's history. The Pirates posted seven winning seasons, appeared in five bowls, and finished in the Top 25 twice during that era. He worked with NFL talents such as Jeff Blake, Robert Jones, David Garrard, and Rod Coleman.

"I've really always wanted to go back," Connors said in a telephone interview with WNCT (Greenville) sports director Brian Bailey on Thursday.

Connors, who replaces the recently departed Mike Golden who accepted the same position at South Florida, helped produce a football program that was known for its strong fourth quarter performances as the Pirates routinely had no quarter on its opponents during the final period.

Toward the end of his first stay at East Carolina, Connors wrote a 250-page book of the fond memories he had while guiding the Pirates during the 1990's. He shared this information with Bonesville.net's Ron Cherubini during an interview in 2003.

Connors will be conducting workouts in the Pirates' 22,000-square foot strength and conditioning facility in the Murphy Center that helped design after all.

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