Ellie Cooper is leaving the coaching staff at East Carolina, she announced on social media late last week.
Cooper spent the last two seasons as an assistant on the Pirates’ staff, and helped lead the team to 37 wins during her tenure, which included the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
In an Instagram post on Friday, Cooper wrote, “There are so many unknowns in life, but I have come to learn that this is certain: the people we are surrounded by is the single most important factor in the experiences that we have. Thank you to this amazing group of people for making the last 2 years so special. Because of you all, I am leaving ECU a better person & a better coach. Thank you for the genuine love and respect you have made me feel since the day I got to ECU. Thank you for challenging me, inspiring me, and making it easy to get out of bed every morning on a mission. It is heavy on the heart, but I am grateful to have people in my life that make leaving so hard. I have loved every part of my journey at ECU, but I am excited for the opportunity to follow my heart and see what the future has in store. Forever in your corner!”
She ended the post with the hashtag “throwitup” and tagged the other members of the ECU coaching staff.
Prior to joining the ECU staff, Cooper spent the 2018 season as a graduate assistant on staff at Florida State, her alma mater. She worked with the team’s offense and defense and served as the first-base coach during the team’s run to the National Championship.
During her playing career, Cooper served as a team captain for the Seminoles and helped guide the program to four ACC titles and Super Regional appearances, as well as a pair of Women’s College World Series berths. She was an all-conference honoree in 2015 and ’16.
The Pirates finished the 2020 season with a 14-9 overall record, along with a team batting average of .298 and an overall fielding percentage of .971.
