NC State is entering a new era of football leadership after the firing of Dave Doeren, the winningest coach in program history, as the school considers what comes next for the Wolfpack in a rapidly changing college sports landscape.
Doeren was dismissed midway through his 14th season at NC State, following a season that began with high expectations but deteriorated as the Wolfpack fell below .500.
His tenure included a 98-74 record, four bowl wins and three Top 25 finishes. Known for his consistency, Doeren only endured two losing seasons at NC State and owned a 9-4 record against rival UNC. Off the field, he earned praise for a $1.25 million donation through the Doeren Family Fund to establish the OnePack Empowered Fund, which assists students with executive functioning challenges and those who are neurodivergent.
However, NC State never reached the ACC championship game under Doeren -- while rivals Duke, UNC, and Wake Forest all did -- and the relationship between the coach and fanbase appeared to grow increasingly testy during a 3-4 start to a season in which the Wolfpack was discussed as a possible playoff team.
"It takes a lot to fire a guy that has the most wins in school history," said Matthew Bradham, co-owner of Pack Pride and an NC State alum.
The decision surprised Bradham, even after the Stanford loss.
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"I thought that might be it if you will. Did I think that that would mean that Dave would get fired the next day? No, that absolutely shocked me," Bradham said.
Joe Giglio, an NC State alum and co-host of Ovies & Giglio, said dwindling enthusiasm surrounding the program had become a problem.
"The Stanford game, there was a lot of apathy. And I've been covering college sports for 30 years now. And once you lose fan interest, that's when you lose your job. It doesn't matter where you are. It doesn't matter what the school is or the financial situation. You can't have a lack of fan interest and the number of people on Friday who didn't even bother to watch NC State and Stanford, at least on my timeline and atmosphere, was an all-time high number of people who just had completely tuned out. Then you have the embarrassment of the way that the game goes," Giglio said.
It seems Wolfpack fans had had enough.
"The patience of State fans was starting to wane. And I think that with Dec. 1st, the season tickets renewal (date) and just honestly the NIL giving, I think that probably we're in an age to where some significant donors are like, hey, I can't keep giving in this way unless changes are made," said Bradham.
Doeren was hired in December 2012, after a 23-4 run leading Northern Illinois. At the time, the sport was in a far different place. Now, NC State will conduct its first search for a new head coach in football during the NIL era.
"Does he have the strengths that are necessary in this new NIL era? Roster management and construction and budgets and galvanizing fans and fundraising -- is he the guy for this? And I don't know that he was," Bradham said.
Giglio said financial resources are also part of the equation facing NC State.
"There is a financial resources component of that equation. And while NC State's not at the bottom of the ACC in their commitment, their financial commitment, they're not at the top," said Giglio.
Further, Giglio said the roster turnover, which has become commonplace across the sport, particularly hit at Doeren's strength of player development.
"I think Dave's strength was finding players, identifying players that maybe some of the power players didn't want and turning them into first-round picks, All-Americans, and he had a track record of that. I think it became harder to do in the portal era. There are some players that he lost recently that you can look at and go, that's a classic Dave Doeren player," Giglio said.
Doeren's departure adds to a year of significant change within NC State athletics. Will Wade left after one year leading the men's basketball program, while longtime baseball coach Elliot Avent announced his retirement.
McMurray Family Director of Athletics Boo Corrigan was absent from Monday's news conference with interim coach Todd Goebbel and players, adding another element to speculation about what could come next.
"There might be more moves that will be made by NC State Athletics, and that would seem to push them in a direction to modernize their athletic department and follow suit to what (the University of North) Carolina is in the process of doing in essentially privatizing their athletic department and having a CEO of NC State athletics. I think that will be the certain next step that you see," Giglio said.
Attention has also quickly turned toward who could replace Doeren.
"I think State's in a place they need to take a risk. I think they're in a place where they need to swing for the fence," Bradham said.
One name generating interest among fans is former NC State quarterback Philip Rivers. His son, Gunner Rivers, is the Wolfpack's top recruit.
"Hopefully we get Philip Rivers in there," NC State junior Cooper Hall said.
Hall said a change could bring renewed energy to the fan base.
"If the students are in a better mood and cheering on instead of booing, I think the players will just naturally play better. And I mean it's Phillip Rivers - he's a beast," Hall said.
Bradham described the possibility as a uniquely timed opportunity.
"You really are looking at like a stars aligning kind of moment," he said.
For NC State, the coaching change raises broader questions about stability and the direction of its athletics programs at a time of significant change across college sports.
"Kind of like the hiring of (men's basketball coach Justin) Gainey feels stable. (New baseball coach) Chris Hart feels stable. I think a Philip Rivers hire would feel stable," Bradham said.
Bigger picture, Giglio said this hire -- and the support and structure around it -- are key as the school navigates a fast-changing college sports landscape.
"We've heard a lot from (the University of North) Carolina about how they're preparing themselves for the future of college athletics. We haven't heard any of those same ideas from NC State, and it will ultimately cost them. But this is the inflection point for them to solve some of those problems and put themselves in a better position competitively moving forward," Giglio said.
Doeren is owed about $10.3 million as part of his buyout, a figure subject to offset and mitigation should he get another job.