The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1456098
24 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY MATT CARTER hroughout the month of February, the ACC Network has been airing an exten- sive documentary on the history of the conference's renowned basketball tour- nament. The early episodes paid due reverence to for- mer NC State coach Everett Case, the father of Wolfpack basketball. If there were such a series dedicated to ACC football, the dean of the Pack would be Earle Edwards, who coached from 1954-70 and led NC State to at least a share of the conference title five times. That does not include his 1967 squad that finished second in the ACC with a 5-1 league mark but was a na- tional title contender that reached as high as No. 3 in the Associated Press poll. Edwards still holds the records at NC State for most career wins (77) and lon- gest tenure (17 years) in program history, but for the first time since he retired more than 50 years ago, his marks are being challenged. Dave Doeren has compiled a 64-49 record since being hired before the 2013 season. He is set to enter year 10 of be- ing the Wolfpack's head coach, joining Edwards as just the second to lead the program for double-digit seasons. And he is also likely to be around a few more years after that. NC State an- nounced Feb. 24 that Doeren has agreed to a contract extension through the 2026 season and will pay him annually $5 million, a $1.5 million raise from his prior salary. The bonuses remain unchanged from Doeren's previous contract extension that he signed last April. They include a $50,000 bonus for being in the top 25 of the final College Football Playoff rankings, which escalates to $100,000 if inside the top 15. An eight-win season brings Doeren an additional $50,000, with $50,000 bumps for each added victory after that, culminating at $250,000 for 12 or more. Should the Pack make an appearance in the ACC Championship Game, the coach will receive at least $100,000 — he will get $200,000 if NC State prevails. Bowl trips will net Doeren $25,000, and winning will double that. If Doeren leads the Pack to the CFP semifinals, he receives an additional $250,000 and adds $50,000 with a win. A national title gets him a $500,000 bonus. Doeren also has bonuses tied to the team's federal graduation rate, the grad- uation success rate and the academic progress rate, three metrics used to sur- vey the team's standing in the class- room. All three bonuses range from $25,000-$100,000. In four of the past five years, NC State has won at least eight games and achieved nine victories three times while finishing the season ranked in the top 25 twice, including placing No. 19 in the final coaches' poll of 2021. During that five-year span, NC State has also accumulated an ACC record BUILDING A LEGACY Dave Doeren Signs A Contract Extension To Further Leave His Mark On NC State Football T