The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/790572
26 ■ THE WOLFPACKER going to generally reflect the level of excel- lence of that coach. You are going to look for multi-year records of success. "You can dig in at that point and look at statistics if you want to see what their defen- sive and offensive efficiency numbers look like. That helps tell the story. "The search firm helps fill that out with the personal elements. They will know how he is in practice. They are the ones that are watching the 30 games and know all the personal details, traits and habits of various coaches. That is why they are so valuable to have at the table talking during the search process." Anything from the last coaching search that will help narrow what you are look- ing for? "I think the thing we are going to pay more attention to this time around is cur- rent contracts and what people are already earning. I get the emails about whether we are going to be competitive financially? We are very far ahead financially than where we were six years ago when we made our last hire. "Will we be more competitive finan- cially? Yes. "That said, I'm still expected, as a self- supported unit at the university, to balance our budget and to pay all our bills. We do know the ACC Network comes in 2019, and that is another plus that we have never talked about before. We don't know how much money that will bring in initially." Is college basketball different in how the salaries have been driven up all the way to the mid-major level? "We will be competitive financially, but I'm not interested in the person who comes to NC State only because we out-bid their current institution. That is not the formula for success. "The person we select has to have that edge and be very talented in recruiting. I will always expect that. They are going to have to be an excellent X-and-O coach, both of- fensively and defensively. We have to figure out how to be a better defensive team. "It will be everything, and I am not going to operate out of fear. Operating out of fear means you have to do it and do it quickly. You have to get this person, just name a person. "What we need to do is to stay focused and remember the type of individual we want, be patient meaning we in all likeli- hood will have to wait to talk to someone we consider to be special. We can't wait forever, though. I'm not waiting until the Final Four. "There is more than one excellent coach in this country that I think we can attract. I admit to that, but I will not be talking about those preferences publicly. The profile that I just described has to be in place. "I believe in NC State, but there are some perceptions of the school nationally that are just not accurate. One of them is related to our fan base being unreasonable. Our fan base is extraordinary, but every fan base — and there are no exceptions — has a few people who either think they need to make the hire themselves and go off on their own and try to do something." Does the search go into overdrive in mid-to-late March? "Late March, with the way the NCAA Tournament is now structured. And now Yow admitted that Mark Gottfried (left) helped elevate NC State's profile with four trips to the NCAA Tournament and a pair of Sweet 16 appearances in his six seasons, but noted she is seeking a coach that has an "edge" that can take the Wolfpack to the next level. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN