The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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16 ■ THE WOLFPACKER TRACKING THE PACK NC STATE APPROVES NEW CONTRACTS FOR COACHES The NC State Board of Trustees approved new contracts for head baseball coach Elliott Avent and women's soccer coach Tim Santoro. Avent's contract — which was set to expire in June 2019 — has been extended through 2021 with the po- tential for additional years based on achievement. San- toro agreed to a two-year extension to his current agreement, which carries him through 2022. "Coach Avent has led NC State baseball for over two decades, and we're glad he will continue as our leader for years to come," NC State director of athletics Debbie Yow said. "He works tire- lessly, recruits at a high level and we look forward to his continued lead- ership. "Coach Santoro continues to do an ex- ceptional job building our women's soccer program. He recruits at a high level, has elevated NC State and this contract reflects our commitment." Avent led the Wolfpack to a 40-win sea- son last spring, highlighted by hosting an NCAA Regional in Raleigh for the sixth time in program history, all of which have come under his direction. NC State finished ranked No. 22 in the D1 Baseball Poll, which was the 16th con- secutive season that the Wolfpack has either started or finished the year ranked among the top 25 of a major poll. NCSU also made history with four players selected in the top 10 rounds of the 2018 Major League Base- ball Draft. Avent is the winningest head coach in program history and is just one of 17 active NCAA Division I baseball head coaches with 1,000 or more career victories. The 2019 season will be his 23rd leading the Wolfpack. "NC State has always been where my heart is, and I've spent the better part of my professional life striving to build a program our campus, alumni and community can share a sense of pride in," Avent said. "There is a tre- mendous amount of pride that connects our players and staff, both past and pres- ent. " To g e t h e r w e h av e amassed years of sustained success that have created such a passionate and loyal fan base." Santoro led NC State to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a 15-5-2 record last year, which marked the most wins for the program since 1995. The Wolfpack are off to a 10-5-3 overall record this fall and a 3-4-2 mark in the ACC through matches played Oct. 24. "I've enjoyed my time at NC State and in Raleigh and am so thankful to Debbie and the administration for having faith in me to con- tinue building on what started a few years back," Santoro said. "While we've made some great strides, there's still so much more to accomplish and I'm just excited for the opportunity to keep leading a top ACC program that's part of a great institution, in a great city and surrounded by great people." The women's soccer team finished with a final RPI of 23 last season, setting its best mark in program history since the NCAA began archiving the stat in 2000. The Wolf- pack improved 11 spots from 2016 when the team earned a then program-best RPI of 34, and has made a 197-spot improvement from 220th in 2015. ■ Red And White Notebook BY JACEY ZEMBAL Pack Bits • Former NC State defensive end Mario Williams was named the Wolfpack's repre- sentative for the 2018 ACC Football Legends class. Williams will be honored during the ACC Night of Legends Nov. 30 at the Charlotte Convention Center and then during on-field pregame festivities at the ACC champion- ship game Dec. 1 at Bank of America Stadium. Williams was the first ACC player to be selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft in 2006, going to the Houston Texans. He concluded his NFL career following the 2016 season, finishing with 97.5 sacks, 16 forced fumbles and 20 pass deflections while playing for the Texans, Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins. Williams, whose jersey is honored and on display at Carter-Finley Stadium, finished his three-year NC State career with 180 tackles, 55.5 tackles for loss, 25.5 sacks and 49 quarterback pressures in 36 career games. He set NC State single-season marks with 27.5 tackles for loss and 14.5 quarterback sacks in 2005. He was named first-team All- American by Sports Illustrated in 2005 and was a second-team choice by Walter Camp. • The West Virginia at NC State football game Sept. 15 wasn't the only event that didn't take place due to Hurricane Florence. The NC State Athletic Hall of Fame 2018 induction ceremony was also postponed Sept. 14. The tickets purchased for the event will be valid for the rescheduled induction, with the date yet to be announced at historic Reynolds Coliseum. The induction class includes cross country runner Joan Benoit Samuelson, golfer Tim Clark, former swimming and diving coach and athletics director Willis Casey, men's swimmer Cullen Jones, women's basketball player Trudi Lacey, men's basketball player Rodney Monroe and the 1983 NC State men's basketball team. • The NC State athletics department promoted Nate Brookreson to the position of assistant athletics director for strength and conditioning of Olympic Sports. Brookreson has served as the director of strength and conditioning for Olympic Sports at NC State since June 2015. Women's basketball, swimming and diving, and men and women's golf have been his primary sports. Brookreson was previously the director of athletic performance for Olympic Sports at Memphis from August 2013 until June 2015. He worked mainly with men and women's soccer, men and women's golf, and track & field sprinters while supervising training for the Olympic sports department. • NC State men's basketball player Braxton Beverly, gymnastics performer Lauren Kent and men's soccer standout Leon Krapf were named the September 2018 winners of the Heart of the Pack award. The Heart of the Pack award recognizes accomplishments of athletes who prove to be selfless teammates, give great effort, have a positive attitude and have mindfulness of how their actions impact their environment. Elliott Avent's contract as head baseball coach was extended through 2021 in late September. PHOTO BY LARRY BLANKENSHIP