The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/916614
66 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY MATT CARTER O n Nov. 30, head coach Dave Doeren had Wolfpack Nation in suspense while he mulled over what a source indicated was a six-year, $24 million contract offer to take over at Tennessee. By midday, Doeren had sent word that he is not leaving for Knoxville, but would remain for a sixth season in Raleigh. Do- eren signed a new five-year contract that runs until 2022 and will pay him $3 mil- lion annually. Doeren was also given an additional $750,000 pool for his assistant coaches. NC State's head coaching position in football has rarely been used for a step- ping-stone for other positions. Lou Holtz left after the 1975 season to try the NFL, coaching the New York Jets for just a single year before returning to the college foot- ball ranks at Arkansas and eventually most famously at Notre Dame, where he won a national title. Bo Rein was Holtz's heir apparent at NC State. Rein was in Raleigh four sea- sons, like Holtz, and after winning the 1979 ACC title left for a prestigious opportunity at LSU. Tragically, Rein never coached a game in Baton Rouge after dying in a plane crash on a recruiting trip. Those are the only two examples of a NC State football coach in the ACC era leaving Raleigh for other pastures. Dick Sheridan had his opportunity to join them, once turning down the head coaching po- sition at Georgia to remain at NC State, where he retired in 1992 after winning 52 games over seven seasons. Doeren became the target of the UT coaching search after the Vols had a bro- kered deal with former Rutgers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano, who is currently the defensive coordinator for Ohio State, derailed by a fan uprising. Tennessee reached out to Duke head coach David Cutcliffe and Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm, and also reportedly of- fered the position to Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy, in addition to Doeren. The school eventually hired Alabama de- fensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt. "My family loves it here too much," Do- eren told ESPN.com. "I'm here because I love my players and my recruits." "Dave has made significant strides in de- veloping a complete program at NC State, and this new contract continues our com- mitment to his leadership," director of ath- letics Debbie Yow added in a statement. Doeren has posted a 33-30 record at NCSU over five seasons, rebounding from a 3-9 initial campaign to post four consecutive winning seasons and trips to bowl games. This past year, the Pack tied a school record with six ACC wins and fin- ished the season No. 24 in the final College Football Playoff rankings. The 2017 campaign included two wins over ACC foes that were ranked at the time — No. 12 Florida State and No. 17 Louis- ville — and a victory over archrival UNC in the regular-season finale, which gave Doeren a 3-2 record against the Tar Heels. Multiple NC State Players Earn All-America Honors While senior defensive end Bradley Chubb compiled consensus first-team All- America honors after registering 10 sacks and 26 tackles for loss, he is not the lone NC State football player to be nationally honored. Senior H-back Jaylen Samuels was tabbed as a third-team All-American by the Associated Press. Samuels lined up at slot receiver, running back, fullback, tight end and wildcat quarterback during this season. WOLFPACK FOOTBALL Dave Doeren Spurns Tennessee Offer To Remain At NC State Doeren was offered a six-year contract to coach at Tennessee, but instead signed an extension with the Wolfpack. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN 2017 NC State Football Schedule Date Opponent (TV) Result/Time (ET) Sept. 2 vs. South Carolina* L, 35-28 Sept. 9 Marshall W, 37-20 Sept. 16 Furman W, 49-16 Sept. 23 at Florida State W, 27-21 Sept. 30 Syracuse W, 33-25 Oct. 5 Louisville W, 39-25 Oct. 14 at Pittsburgh W, 35-17 Oct. 28 at Notre Dame L, 35-14 Nov. 4 Clemson L, 38-31 Nov. 11 at Boston College W, 17-14 Nov. 18 at Wake Forest L, 30-24 Nov. 25 North Carolina W, 33-21 Dec. 29 vs. Arizona State^ (CBS) 3 p.m. * at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte ^ Hyundai Sun Bowl at El Paso, Texas