The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1527657
24 ■ THE WOLFPACKER defensive coordinator at Northern Illi- nois, he quickly said yes. Niemann knew Doeren was ready to lead. "He's a guy that was mature beyond his years," said Niemann, now an assis- tant defensive line coach at Iowa. "I just felt like he was a guy that came in and performed like someone who had been in that role for four or five years. "He didn't seem like somebody who was coming from being an assistant to a head coach. He's a sharp guy, and he car- ried himself that way. Very intelligent, in- tentional, paid his dues to get to that spot, and he was prepared for it when he got it." For Doeren, whose first staff contained a future head coach, two collegiate defen- sive coordinators and an NFL defensive coordinator, everything had to follow the plan he laid out before even taking the job. Everyone in the building needed to adhere to his vision, and the biggest part was that Doeren was going to be involved in every manner he could. "He was a defensive guy, but he was in almost every offensive meeting," said Rod Carey, the Huskies' offensive line coach in 2011 before becoming offensive coor- dinator in 2012 and the head coach for six seasons after Doeren left. "He wanted to know, he wanted to have input, and he wanted to have a say. That's because he had been planning to be a head coach, and he knew how he wanted his team to look." Doeren's approach was new to Carey. During his previous stops at Wisconsin- Stout and Illinois State, he had never seen the head coaches checking in on every po- sition group each week. But there was Do- eren, sitting in whenever he had a chance. He also wanted to have a competitive meeting room — for the players and the staff every day, pushing everyone to be at their best in each area of the program. That approach helped keep Doeren well-informed about what was going on during game preparation, allowing him to manage the game at a high level. In turn, it helped the Huskies become the gold standard in the MAC during his tenure. Recruiting Guru In addition to having a plan for his program, Doeren had a template for the kind of high school prospects he wanted to recruit. Tough. Athletic. Versatile. "He knew the type of guys that fit him, personality- and physical-wise, what he was looking for in his scheme defensively and offensively," Carey said. "He knew what he wanted it to look like, too." It's similar to what he looks for at NC Doeren went 23-4 and won a pair of Mid-American Conference titles as a first-time head coach at Northern Illinois. PHOTO COURTESY NORTHERN ILLINOIS ATHLETICS