Oklahoma has hired former ECU coach Ruffin McNeill as its assistant head coach and defensive line coach. The team made the announcement Wednesday.

Sooner Nation welcome home Coach Ruffin McNeill! So proud to have this great man as a part of our staff
— Lincoln Riley (@LincolnRiley)

McNeill, best known for his six-year stint at East Carolina from 2010-15, coached the Pirates to a 42-34 record. That includes a 10-3 record in 2013, which was the program's first double-digit win season since 1991. ECU fired McNeill at the end of the 2015 season after the team went 5-7.

Sooners coach Lincoln Riley also has a connection to McNeill, having served as his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at ECU from 2010-14. The two also worked together on Mike Leach's staff at Texas Tech in 2008 and '09.

Prior to taking over at ECU, McNeill served in several capacities at Texas Tech from 2000-09, serving as the team's assistant head coach since 2003 and as its defensive coordinator in 2008 and '09. He coached the Red Raiders to a 41-31 win over Michigan State in the 2009 Alamo Bowl after Leach was fired from the program.

McNeill has his work cut out for him at Oklahoma in 2017. He will be tasked with helping a defense that ranked 89th nationally in yards per game (440) and 75th in points per game (29.7).