NC State has fired head coach Dave Doeren after a 3-4 start to the season, ending one of the longest coaching tenures in college football. The school announced the move on Saturday, less than a day after the Wolfpack’s upset 31-28 loss at Stanford.
Dave Doeren (Credits: ESPN)
The Stanford defeat dropped NC State to 3-4 overall and 1-3 in ACC play, with all three conference losses coming on the road. It was the Wolfpack’s second straight loss, following a defeat to Wake Forest, and it proved to be the final straw in a season that had already featured a string of painful results.
“I want to thank Coach Doeren for his service and contributions to NC State, and for always representing the university with pride,” athletic director Boo Corrigan said in a statement. “I appreciate his leadership during his 14-year tenure and the passion he brought to this role. We wish Dave, Sara and his family the best in the future.”
How NC State’s season unravelled for Dave Doeren
The warning signs came early. NC State opened the season with a 34-8 thrashing on the road at Virginia, then suffered a bizarre defeat to Vanderbilt after fumbling in the end zone while trying to run out the clock. A 31-28 win over Louisville on October 3 briefly suggested a turnaround, but back-to-back losses to Wake Forest (38-14) and Stanford (31-28) ended that hope.
After the Stanford game, Doeren shouldered the blame himself. “It starts with me. The guys didn’t play well enough, which means I didn’t have them ready,” he said. “But it wasn’t good enough. Not even close.” The Wolfpack fell behind 14-0 early and never held a lead at any point in the game.
Doeren’s NC State legacy and what comes next
Doeren, 54, had coached NC State since 2013 and departs as the winningest coach in program history, with a 98-74 record, 11 bowl appearances and four nine-win seasons — though he never reached double-digit wins. He was the fourth-longest tenured FBS coach before his dismissal, and the second Power 4 head coach fired this season after Maryland’s Mike Locksley.
Per ESPN’s Pete Thamel, NC State will owe Doeren nearly $10.3 million, subject to offset and mitigation, with three years remaining on his deal. A national search for his successor will begin immediately.
For the rest of the season, running backs coach and special teams coordinator Todd Goebbel will serve as interim head coach. The Wolfpack host Cal in Week 9, with Duke, Syracuse, Florida State and North Carolina still to come — and a bowl streak that dates back to 2019 now very much in jeopardy.
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Source: ESPN — read the full story there.
