College football's coaching carousel got started on Sunday with its first firing of the season. East Carolina head coach Mike Houston was let go by the Pirates after their second consecutive loss and fourth in the last five games. The last two losses for East Carolina have been ugly ones, as it followed up a 31-point rout against Charlotte with a 45-28 drubbing at the hands of No. 23 Army.

There is a silver lining for Houston in wake of this news. Due to his contract, he will get to take a little something on his way out the door, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.

“East Carolina fires Mike Houston. He’s expected to be owed nearly $2.8 million, per his contract,” Thamel reported on X, formerly Twitter. “DC Blake Harrell will be the interim. First in-season firing of 2024.”

Harrell will be the interim coach after spending four seasons as the team's defensive coordinator. This season, East Carolina ranks 94th in the FBS in total defense (390.7 yards allowed per game) and T-94th in scoring defense (27.57 points per game allowed). Harrell has never been a head coach at the college level.

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Houston's departure comes on the heels of the Pirates falling to 3-4 after a 2-0 start to the season. He never quite found consistent success at the FBS level with East Carolina after a very successful stint with James Madison helped earn him the job. In three seasons leading the Dukes, Houston went 37-6 and won the FCS National Championship in 2016.

Houston finishes just 27-38 after being fired in the middle of his sixth season at East Carolina. He reached two bowl games during his time with the Pirates, in 2021 and 2022. The injury bug wasn't kind to Houston this season, as the Pirates lost star cornerback Shavon Revel to a knee injury earlier this season.

East Carolina is now forced to move forward and attempt to salvage an appearance in a bowl game this season, which they need a 3-2 finish to achieve. That journey starts with a date with Temple on Oct. 26 at home.