NC State has moved on from Dave Doeren. The program announced Saturday that it had fired its head football coach of 14 seasons, roughly a day after the Wolfpack fell 31-28 to Stanford on Friday.
Todd Goebel, who has been coaching NC State's running backs and coordinating its special teams, will lead the team as interim head coach for the rest of the season, college football insider Nicole Auerbach reported on X.
The loss that ended it
The Stanford result was the latest blow in a frustrating fall. NC State sits at 3-4, and apart from an upset of Louisville it has not beaten a Power Four opponent, going 0-4 in the rest of those games. Cardinal quarterback Davis Warren threw for 303 yards and four touchdowns against the Wolfpack, and Stanford piled up 477 yards in all, CBS Sports reported. The season had already included an infamous finish against Vanderbilt.
Athletic director Boo Corrigan thanked Doeren for his service and for representing the university with pride. "I appreciate his leadership during his 14-year tenure and the passion he brought to this role," Corrigan said, according to CBS Sports.
A steady run that never broke through
Doeren leaves as the program's winningest head coach, ahead of names like Chuck Amato and the late Lou Holtz. Reports differ slightly on his final mark: CBS Sports lists him at 98-73, while ClutchPoints puts it at 98-74. He went 52-57 in ACC games.
His first Wolfpack team finished 3-9, but consistency followed. Over the last 12 seasons he produced 10 winning records and 11 bowl trips, and four of his teams won nine games, each tied for the second-best total the school has posted. The ceiling never moved, though. Amato's 2002 team, led by Philip Rivers, remains the only NC State squad to reach 10 wins.
The NIL and transfer portal era proved harder. After an 8-5 season last year built around breakout quarterback CJ Bailey, NC State spent heavily to keep Bailey but watched running back Hollywood Smothers leave for Texas, receiver Noah Rogers for Alabama, offensive tackle Jacarrius Peak for South Carolina and receiver Terrell Anderson for USC.
The bill and the search
The decision carries a hefty price. ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that NC State will owe Doeren nearly $10.3 million under his contract, which had three years left, though that figure is subject to offset and mitigation.
The school now begins its first coaching search since 2012. It is the second Power Four job to open this week, after Maryland fired Mike Locksley. For now, Goebel inherits a 3-4 team and the rest of the schedule.
Reporting sources: sports.yahoo.com, “NC State fires Dave Doeren, replaces him with Todd Goebel” · CBS Sports Headlines, “NC State fires Dave Doeren: Wolfpack coach out amid 14th season after brutal loss to Stanford”.