In Godwin We Trust
A program built on grit, loyalty, and belief led by the man who’s done it all but isn’t done yet.
In a sport where failure is inevitable, Cliff Godwin has built a program defined by belief. Now the winningest coach in East Carolina baseball history, Godwin has surpassed legends such as Gary Overton, Keith LeClair, and Billy Godwin, among others, while continuing to shape a culture rooted in toughness, pride, and the colors purple and gold.
With 432 wins and counting, Godwin’s place in ECU history is secure. But as he’ll be the first to say, this was never about personal milestones.
“I never set out to be the winningest coach at East Carolina,” Godwin said. “I just wanted to represent my alma mater in a very positive way.”
Built From the Ground Up
When Godwin took over in 2015, ECU wasn’t the national brand it is today. A decade later, the Pirates have hosted NCAA Regionals, earned a Top 8 national seed, and made multiple Super Regional appearances. But Godwin has always framed his journey around the people who gave him a chance.
“As I told Coach O ( Coach Overton ), and I mean this from the bottom of my heart, the guy took a chance on me in the spring of '96 when I probably didn’t deserve it,” Godwin said. “It was really because of my high school coach, James 'Rabbit' Fulghum. Coach Fulghum put his neck on the line for me. Luckily, I got an opportunity to wear the Purple and Gold as a player.”
He redshirted his freshman year before playing four years under legendary coach LeClair, who remains central to Godwin’s approach.
“I know Coach LeClair is smiling down for sure. I’m just trying to make my alma mater proud,” Godwin said. “All the fans, all the players that have played for us, that have won the games. Jeff Palumbo has been by my side every step of the way. Coaches don’t win games, the players win the games.”
The 2025 Season: A Late Push That Defined the Culture
The 2025 campaign wasn’t the smoothest ride, but it was pure Cliff Godwin baseball.
The Pirates battled through an up-and-down regular season, facing adversity on both sides of the ball. But when their backs were against the wall, the Pirates responded the only way they know how: with toughness, unity, and grit.
Needing a spark late in the year, ECU caught fire at just the right time, charging through the American Athletic Conference Tournament and claiming the title. The championship punched the Pirates’ ticket to the NCAA Tournament and kept their postseason streak alive.
In the regional, ECU came up just short, falling in the final, two wins away from advancing. But the fight they showed down the stretch told the story of a team that never quit. It was another reminder of what Godwin has instilled in this program: a culture that doesn’t fade when things get hard, it digs in.
Pirates in the Pros and in the Classroom
Godwin’s success isn’t just measured in wins; it’s written all over Major League Baseball. Alec Burleson is slugging in the Cardinals' lineup. Carson Whinenhunt and Gavin Williams are climbing the ranks, with Williams already in Cleveland’s rotation.
That pipeline is no accident.
Under Godwin’s leadership, 28 players have been selected in the MLB Draft. Fourteen have earned All-America honors, 25 have landed on NCAA All-Regional Teams, and 46 have been named all-conference, including 27 first-team picks.
Some of the best stories have happened right in Greenville. In 2023, undersized center fielder Ryley Johnson made program history as ECU’s first-ever Rawlings Gold Glove winner, a reflection of the defensive energy and grit Godwin demands from his players.
And the excellence doesn’t stop on the field. ECU has had student-athletes take home the American Athletic Conference’s Male Scholar-Athlete-of-the-Year Award in consecutive years. Jake Agnos became the first Pirate to ever win the honor in 2019, followed by Burleson in 2020. Then, in 2024, Lane Cunningham carried on the legacy, showing that under Godwin, success in the classroom matters just as much.
It’s all part of a development model that’s bigger than baseball, one that prepares Pirates to thrive at every level.
The Omaha Dream
There’s one piece of the puzzle that still eludes ECU: Omaha. The Pirates have been to four Super Regionals under Godwin, but haven’t yet made the final leap. That doesn’t mean the journey’s been a failure, far from it.
“If I never coach in the College World Series, I’m OK with that,” Godwin said after the 2022 loss to Texas. “I don’t need that for my ego. The good Lord put me on this planet to be more than a coach with accolades. Because when we leave this place, you ain’t taking those rings and championships with you.”
That’s why Pirate Nation keeps believing. It’s not just about chasing trophies, it’s about representing something bigger. And under Cliff Godwin, East Carolina baseball will always do exactly that.