The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/125393
■ From Head Football Coach Dave Doeren Hello Wolfpack Nation! I want to start off by letting you know how excited I am to be part of the Wolfpack Family. There is no place else I would rather be coaching than NC State University. When Debbie Yow first contacted me about the coaching opportunity I was extremely excited because I knew that this is a place where we can win championships. There has been a lot going on since I first arrived in Raleigh back in December. I have hired an entire staff, signed our first recruiting class, got to know our current team, and went through 15 spring practices. With all that going on, I was still able to meet so many great people with a lot of passion for NC State Football. You are the people that make this program special, and I want to keep you involved with our program. The first thing I had to do when I took the job was to hire my staff. It was important that I hire a staff that had the same goals and vision that I have for this program. I was looking for coaches that were great technicians at their positions and relentless recruiters. It was important for me to have a staff that consists of CHAMPIONS. Everyone on my staff has a championship ring or has played in the NFL, and that is important because I want to surround the team with CHAMPIONS. I have no doubt that I have the best staff in the country. All of them have specific abilities and attributes that make them who they are. The one thing I made sure they all share is their passion for the game. You will not meet another coaching staff in the country that has the same amount of passion and love for the game. Dave Huxtable – Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Matt Canada – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Ryan Nielsen – Recruiting Coordinator/Defensive Line Eddie Faulkner – Special Teams Coordinator/ Tight Ends & Fullbacks Clayton White – Co-Special Teams Coordinator/Safeties Des Kitchings – Running Backs Mike Uremovich – Offensive Line Richard McNutt – Cornerbacks Frisman Jackson – Wide Receivers These coaches hit the ground running once they got on campus. We had to quickly come up with a plan on how we were going to put a great recruiting class together in a very short amount of time. We hit the road, trying to get in front of as many recruits, parents, and coaches as we could. It was a tireless effort by all the coaches. Our hard work paid off, and we put together an amazing class when it was all said and done. All of our signees will arrive on campus during the summer to start classes and be involved with our workouts. With everything that was going on, it is needless to say that I was ready to get a chance to work with the team. Spring practice is the time to teach the fundamentals, and also install some of our offensive and defensive playbooks. It is also a great time to really evaluate individual players. After 15 practices with the team, I feel that we are 15 times better. The amount of improvement from the first practice up to the last one was very exciting to me. Although there is still a lot of area for improvement, I am happy with the progress we have made. I was so impressed with the turnout for the Kay Yow Spring Game. Beyond just the fact that it was a great game on both sides of the ball, we were able to raise nearly $20,000 for the Kay Yow Foundation for Cancer Research. It is so great having such dedicated fans, and I thank you for your support. You create the great game day atmosphere at CarterFinley Stadium, and that helps us both on the field and in recruiting. While the coaching staff is back on the road recruiting the class of 2014, I am taking the time to meet with each of our players individually to go over their performance this spring. I also like to lay out some short-term and long-term goals with each of them, so that we both have the same expectations. I believe that it is important that they hear directly from me what I expect out of them, both on and off the field. Summer is almost here, and this starts the next phase of the program, which is our summer strength and conditioning workouts. It will now be up to our amazing strength and conditioning staff, led by Jason Veltkamp, to get the team in the best shape possible for a long season. Along with getting them physically ready to play, Coach Veltkamp will play a vital role building teamwork and developing leaders within the program. Summer is an important time for leaders to step up and take control of the team because the coaches are not around to tell them what to do. It is up to the leaders to set the example and show the way. Another way we are developing our leaders is by organizing the Leadership Council. This council is voted on by the players based on who they believed were the leaders of the team. The coaches then pick out certain players that we feel are the emerging leaders of the team. Both groups are now going through classes in the Wolfpack Leadership Academy led by Jeff Janssenn. Jeff is an expert in leadership education and has worked with both collegiate and professional teams in their leadership development. We are very fortunate to have a course like this to help us develop our leaders. There is no doubt that our guys will benefit from this greatly. I would like to thank all of you for being so welcoming to me and my family. We feel at home here and are excited for the future of Wolfpack Football. The season will be here before you know it, and I can't wait to run out of the tunnel to a sold-out crowd in Carter-Finley! Go Pack! Coach Doeren 8 ■ the wolfpacker 8.Doeren Letter.indd 8 4/30/13 1:29 PM