Dave Doeren Addresses Retirement Speculation at NC State
During Dave Doeren's 13-year tenure at NC State, the football program has maintained consistent performance, often described as living in a New York City apartment—where the floor is very close to the ceiling. Since taking the head coach position in 2013, the team has won between seven and nine games each season from 2014 to 2023, excluding one year, but never surpassed nine wins.
Every nine-win season brought an Associated Press Top 25 finish. Despite strong performance, the Wolfpack have remained just one win shy of qualifying for the ACC Championship game, never making the trip from Raleigh to Charlotte for the event.
Comparisons to Coaching Changes Elsewhere
Many programs have ended similar steady but limited success by changing coaches, with mixed results. For example:
- Georgia replaced Mark Richt with Kirby Smart, which was seen as an upgrade.
- Minnesota fired Glen Mason after six bowl appearances in seven years, but then only made two bowl games in the subsequent five seasons.
Doeren's Perspective on His Current Role
"I'm having a blast," Doeren told ESPN's Inside ACCess podcast. "I have four years left on my contract, I fully expect to coach in. So unless they kick me out of here, I'm going to keep coming to work and doing everything I can to help NC State. There's meat on the bone for me, personally."
Despite ongoing speculation about retirement or dismissal, Doeren remains committed to continuing his work at NC State.
Author's Summary
Dave Doeren dismisses retirement rumors, expressing strong commitment to NC State amid steady yet ceiling-limited team success over his 13-year coaching career.