East Carolina, entering its first full season under coach Blake Harrell, has a new head of its football scouting department, FootballScoop has learned.
Ian Martinez, who had spent the past two seasons as the assistant director of player personnel at Appalachian State, has been named to the role of Director of Scouting in Harrell's ECU Pirates program, sources tell FootballScoop Tuesday night.
It's another advancement for Martinez, an University of Arizona graduate.
After starting his career in football operations at Miami, Martinez then landed his first top role -- director of player personnel -- at Louisiana Monroe. It was there Martinez filled the DPP role under Terry Bowden, the former Auburn coach who guided the Warhawks from 2021-23.
Following his stint at ULM, Martinez transitioned to an upper-level personnel post at Appalachian State.
There, he served under head coach Shawn Clark, who guided the program from 2019-24 before the school parted ways with Clark last fall and ultimately hired former NFL and South Carolina Gamecocks offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains as head coach.
Now, Martinez exits the SunBelt Conference for his top scouting post for the Pirates, who are residents of the American Athletic Conference.
ECU, which promoted Harrell to the full-time head coach's post following Harrell's stellar interim work last fall, is set to open its 2025 season next Thursday when it battles in-state foe North Carolina State at the home of the Wolfpack.
The Pirates won five of their final six games last season as Harrell commanded the head coaching job beyond an interim basis, including a postseason bowl win against Dave Doeren's N.C. State squad, 26-21.