The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/947448
22 ■ THE WOLFPACKER TRACKING THE PACK wolfpacker spotlight CHUCK AMATO Former Football Coach And Player/Wrestler The 2002 football season will long be remembered as one of the greatest in NC State history. Head coach Chuck Amato's squad won a school-record 11 games, including the first nine of the season, en route to a No. 12 finish in the final As- sociated Press poll. Capping the campaign was a 28-6 thrashing of Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla. That was the highlight of Amato's seven-year tenure as NC State's coach. He posted a 49-37 overall record from 2000-06 and went to five bowl games, winning four of them. Since leaving NC State, Amato served as an assistant coach at Florida State and then Akron. The 71-year old announced Feb. 26 that he was retiring from coaching after spending the last six years as Akron's defensive coordinator. "Bobby Bowden preached for years the three F's — faith, family and football — in that order. My wife has a sister and brother who are not doing well right now, and I've got twin boys [grandsons] in my house," Amato said in a statement. "I said to myself, 'Maybe it's time to go ahead and let someone else do it.' Just be happy and glad. "I've been to the top of the mountain twice [college national championships], and if it wasn't for a wide left and two wide rights, there'd be five of them. But I'm ready to retire, and I have to find something to do. If anybody out there has something they can give me, call me." Amato was a captain and linebacker on the 1967 NC State football squad that remains arguably the greatest team in school history more than 50 years later. That team was No. 3 in the country after starting 8-0 and finished the year 9-2 following a win over Georgia in the Liberty Bowl. Amato also wrestled and was a two-time ACC champion. — Matt Carter/Photo by Jason Ivester