RALEIGH — Fired NC State football coach Dave Doeren got the chance to address his team a final time Saturday.
On Tuesday, Doeren — the school’s all-time leader in victories — delivered his first public remarks since his firing, thanking many in and around the program by name and outlining how and where the Wolfpack must improve.
Doeren was fired Saturday in the middle of his 14th season after a dismal loss at Stanford on Friday night dropped the Wolfpack to 3-4 on the season.
“I love this university,” Doeren said as he spoke before an NC State backdrop but not wearing any NC State apparel. “I leave here knowing that I made it better than I found it – on and off the field. I wanted so badly to win a championship here at NC State, but I will be cheering for this program to get there under their future leadership.”
He added: “[His wife] Sara and I will be cheering for NC State forever. I leave here with no grudges. I completely love this place, and we want to see this program shock the world.”
Doeren won 98 games in his 13-plus seasons in Raleigh, producing four nine-win seasons, qualifying for 11 bowl games and posting a 9-4 record against rival North Carolina, including five consecutive victories — all accomplishments that he mentioned during his 18-minute address. Doeren didn’t take questions from the media.
But the program was under .500 in ACC play, never reached 10 victories in a season and never made it to the ACC Championship Game in 13-plus seasons under Doeren, who spoke at length about how the name, image and likeness era and the unlimited transfer era has impacted schools like NC State. Doeren said his team has lost on average four NFL-caliber players each offseason for the last three years.
“For this program to become what is wanted and expected, the resources need to match the expectations, and that is the reality in college sports,” Doeren said. “I hope for NC State that this commitment to football happens. I really want this program to win, and I pray for the next head coach that he has that opportunity because it’s just not the way it used to be.”
Doeren relied on player development. In the portal era, those backups and third-stringers are going elsewhere to start — and get paid. It’s left teams, not just NC State, with little depth behind their starters.
“This new NIL era doesn’t work unless you stay 100% healthy, unless you have the money to get starters and backups that are completely able to switch in and out without a dropoff,” he said. “You see that at some places and not at others.”
In the end, good-but-not-good-enough wasn’t good enough for at least a segment of the fan base and, ultimately, athletics director Boo Corrigan. The program’s four losses this season came in a variety of manners — Virginia (blowout), Vanderbilt (sack and fumble in the end zone in the final seconds), Wake Forest (outscored 28-0 in the second half) and Stanford (a lackluster performance) — and ended his run.
“Coach Doeren’s a great guy,” running back Duke Scott said Monday. “Coach Doeren’s a great coach, and I just want to say I’m so thankful for Coach Doeren and everything he’s done for us in this program. I just wish him the best in everything he has going on.”
Doeren said he doesn’t have any plans for what’s next. He’s been coaching in college since 1994 after playing tight end at Drake for four seasons. Doeren is owed $9.75 million for the remaining three years on his contract, plus the remainder of this season.
“I’ve never been unemployed,” he said. “So these last few days in October, waking up with an empty calendar with no alarm clock has been very different. To wake up on a Monday morning and not be thinking about the next game or the last game or what’s going on, never in my life.”
He said he’ll use the unexpected time off to hang out with his family and close friends, traveling, playing golf and fishing. Doeren and his wife, Sara, donated $1.25 million to the OnePack Empowered program to support students with executive functioning challenges and those who are neurodivergent. Doeren said the family will fulfill its pledge in March and that he hopes Chancellor Kevin Howell and the NC State academic community will keep the program going.
“It has made a big difference, and it was a big thing for our family and a legacy piece for us that we felt like was really needed on campus,” he said. “It’s helped a lot of students reach their goals and graduate from NC State. I know it’s given hope to a lot of families that have students with special needs.”
Doeren addressed his dismissal during a team meeting Saturday. He also called some players before the meeting to let them know. Doeren said he told them to “Go be great.”
Interim coach Todd Goebbel, who served on Doeren’s staff since 2019, praised Doeren during his first media availability as the leader of the Wolfpack on Monday. Goebbel was the team’s running backs coach and special teams coordinator.
“Coach Doeren was definitely able to say goodbye to the team,” Goebbel said. “I’m glad he did. That’s a man that’s poured his blood, sweat and tears into the bricks here at NC State. These players genuinely love him. They respect him. So I think it was done eloquently and it was done very respectfully.”
NC State also fired general manager Andy Vaughn and, on Saturday, defensive coordinator DJ Eliot as part of the shakeup. Athletics director Boo Corrigan hasn’t yet addressed the firing or the search for a new coach, outside of a statement.
“I want to thank Coach Doeren for his service and contributions to NC State and for always representing the university with pride,” Corrigan said. “I appreciate his leadership during his 14-year tenure and the passion he brought to this role.”