The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545830
20 ■ THE WOLFPACKER IN FULL SWING Golf Retreat Lets NC State Donors Get To Know The Coaches They Support BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN ohn Powers stood on the tee box of a par 3 with the idea of looking to make a birdie. He wasn't try- ing to impress his playing part- ner, who happened to be NC State football coach Dave Doeren, but his tee shot quickly did just that. Powers put it close to the hole before making his putt with confidence to put a red number on his scorecard. Looking on, Doeren seemed to grow more en- thused with each shot. At that moment, Powers understood what it might be like to suit up for the Wolfpack's all-time winningest foot- ball coach with 95 victories to his credit through 13 seasons in Raleigh. "I hit two really good shots in a row," Powers recalled. "He just got so excited. I could just see how you would want to play for him. He was just so excited that I made two good shots." Powers' experience isn't uncommon at the Wolfpack Club's Red Wolf Society annual golf retreat. The two-day event, which took place this year at Ballyhack Golf Club in Roanoke, Va., provides an opportunity for donors to play golf with other members and coaches, while also getting closer with one another through fellowship and other non-golf-related activities. For Powers, a longtime NC State supporter and current member of the alumni association's board of directors, the annual retreat has become a staple of his calendar. He has been in attendance the past three years, building bonds with other Wolfpack fans and coaches. "What I really enjoyed was getting to know the coaches a little bit bet- ter," Powers said. "They all have great personalities and really care about the players, you can tell that. It's just fun to interact in a low-key environment, play- ing golf and having a couple of meals together." Powers isn't alone in having that ex- perience. The same can be said for E. John Poindexter, a 1990 NC State gradu- ate who once drove for the Wolfpack's coaches caravan. He's been to each of the past five iterations of the event, which has also been held at Pinehurst in the recent past, and he keeps com- ing back based on the relationships he's crafted. "I've made a lot of new friends," Poin- dexter said. "They've been faces that I've recognized for years, but now I'm getting to spend time and put faces with names while sitting around and talking and having a blast." Poindexter has developed close rela- tionships with several NC State foot- ball assistant coaches, including Char- ley Wiles and Joker Phillips, while also growing his pregame tailgate in the RV parking lot in front of the Murphy Center. Additionally, Poindexter has become friends with fellow Wolfpack fans, which has led to golf outings all over the country as a result of attending the retreat. While Poindexter has grown his Rolo- dex throughout the years, the biggest impact the annual Red Wolf Society golf retreat has had on him has been by strengthening his involvement with the Wolfpack Club. "I thought my days of giving to the Wolfpack Club were kind of over. I'm 60 and semi-retired. At some point, J