Ad Disclosure
Friedlander: Should NC State move on from Dave Doeren? Absolutely not. Here’s why
Published:
Dave Doeren looked as beaten down as his team as he walked into the interview room at Bank of America Stadium late Saturday night.
“That’s not what I expected to see from our team,” he said somberly after NC State’s 51-10 drubbing at the hands of Tennessee.
Maybe the score and the margin of defeat. But when it comes to the result, the long-time Wolfpack coach shouldn’t have been so surprised.
Laying an egg against high-profile opponents on a big stage in games that could potentially catapult his program to elite status has become as much a trademark of Doeren’s tenure in Raleigh as all those 8- and 9-win seasons his teams have achieved.
Mississippi State at the Belk Bowl in 2015 and in Starkville in 2022.
South Carolina in Charlotte in 2017.
Texas A&M at the Gator Bowl in 2018.
Notre Dame at home last year.
Now Tennessee this past Saturday.
It’s a repetitive history that’s led to social media rumblings suggesting it’s time for State to move on from Doeren. That the Wolfpack have plateaued under his leadership and the only way to get off the 8-, 9-win treadmill is to bring somebody else in to coach the team.
I get it.
They feel as though they’re a real-life version of Charlie Brown, thinking – or at least hoping – that this will finally be the time Lucy lets them kick the ball. Only to have their dream of a double-digit win season and an end to their school’s 4-decade championship drought and a place among the nation’s elite come crashing to the ground every time she yanks it away at the last second.
C'mon Charlie Brown, surely Lucy will hold the football for you this time! pic.twitter.com/2wlgKU7NPr
— Reluctant Observer (@reluctantobs) September 5, 2024
The disappointment is even more palpable this time now that the self-fulfilling prophecy of #NCStateStuff is dead and buried, thanks to the men’s basketball team proving that the Wolfpack can win ACC titles and compete at the highest level.
RELATED: Neil Blackmon explains why NC State should fire Dave Doeren
Because of that success last spring, Doeren had to do something coaches dread even more than replacing an All-American with a true freshman.
Making public statements that raise the already high expectations on his team.
That in itself is one of the strongest arguments for the Wolfpack to stick with Doeren. Not since the early days of the Chuck Amato era has NC State’s program been in a place where a 9-win season is no longer considered acceptable.
And Amato had Philip Rivers helping him.
It’s not as if Doeren isn’t trying to find his Rivers. He brought in Brennan Armstrong last year. When that didn’t work out, he went back to the portal and landed Grayson McCall – one of the most sought-after quarterbacks on the transfer market – along with a slew of other offensive playmakers.
Only to produce a similar result.
The problem on Saturday wasn’t coaching. It was that the Volunteers were faster, deeper and more physical than the Wolfpack at every position on both sides of the ball.
Given the current landscape of college football, there’s not a lot Doeren or any other coach you’d like to replace him with can do about it. NC State simply doesn’t have the financial resources to outbid the Tennessees, Georgias and even the Florida States and Clemsons of the world for the kind of depth and talent necessary to be a top-10 program.
Bringing in a new coach won’t change that. It’s not a miracle cure. Doeren, remember, has won 9 games 4 times. No other Wolfpack coach won 9 games in a season more than twice. Amato only did it once. There’s no guarantee the next guy will be an improvement.
State fans should have learned that lesson when they ran off basketball coach Herb Sendek after 5 straight NCAA Tournament appearances because they didn’t like his style of play or personality only to end up with Sidney Lowe. Then Mark Gottfried, who was good until he wasn’t.
You can get rid of Doeren thinking you can coax Nick Saban out of retirement. But you’re more likely to end up with Willie Taggart.
Besides, who are you going to find that’s a better fit for the Wolfpack than a self-proclaimed “blue-collar, hand-in-the-dirt” kind of guy who demands toughness from his players without having to resort to the typical cliché tough guy tactics? While also winning more games than anyone in program history (82 and counting) and owning the hated Tar Heels from Chapel Hill?
“It’s a blessing to be at this school this long,” Doeren said last year. “I came to NC State for the same reason I’m still there. I think it’s a great fit.”
Athletic director Boo Corrigan must think so, too. Earlier this year, he signed Doeren to an extension that keeps him under contract through 2029. Unless Doeren decides to leave on his own, which is highly unlikely, he’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
Nor should he.
Doeren has elevated the Wolfpack to new heights during his 12-year tenure in Raleigh. His current run of 4 straight seasons with 8 or more wins is the longest in school history and an accomplishment only 4 other power conference teams – Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and Notre Dame – have matched.
He’s earned his job security and an opportunity to keep chasing the ACC championship that has eluded State since 1979 by building a consistent program for which his school can be proud.
One that has produced far more celebrations than rotten eggs.
Award-winning columnist Brett Friedlander has covered the ACC and college basketball since the 1980s.
