Fired NC State football coach Dave Doeren delivered his first public remarks on Tuesday, addressing his departure from the program, the realities of modern college athletics, and his future after 13-plus seasons in Raleigh.
Doeren, the school’s all-time leader in victories with 98 wins, was dismissed on Saturday in the middle of his 14th season following a loss at Stanford on Friday night that dropped the Wolfpack to 3-4 overall. Speaking before an NC State backdrop without university apparel, Doeren expressed deep affection for the institution.
“I love this university,” Doeren said. “I leave here knowing that I made it better than I found it – on and off the field. I wanted so badly to win a championship here at NC State, but I will be cheering for this program to get there under their future leadership.”
During his 18-minute address, which did not include media questions, Doeren highlighted his tenure’s achievements, including four nine-win seasons, 11 bowl game appearances, and a 9-4 record against rival North Carolina featuring five consecutive victories. However, he pointed out that the program finished under .500 in Atlantic Coast Conference play, never reached 10 wins in a season, and never appeared in the ACC Championship Game.
Doeren focused heavily on the structural shifts in college sports, pointing to the name, image, and likeness era and the unlimited transfer portal as significant challenges for schools like NC State. He stated that the program lost an average of four NFL-caliber players each offseason over the previous three years.
“For this program to become what is wanted and expected, the resources need to match the expectations, and that is the reality in college sports,” Doeren said. “I hope for NC State that this commitment to football happens. I really want this program to win, and I pray for the next head coach that he has that opportunity because it’s just not the way it used to be.”
Historically reliant on player development, Doeren explained that the portal era encourages backups and third-stringers to seek starting roles and financial compensation elsewhere, leaving teams with diminished depth. “This new NIL era doesn’t work unless you stay 100% healthy, unless you have the money to get starters and backups that are completely able to switch in and out without a dropoff,” he said.
Athletics director Boo Corrigan ultimately made the change after a series of diverse losses this season, which included a blowout against Virginia, a late-game sack and fumble in the end zone against Vanderbilt, a second-half collapse against Wake Forest, and a lackluster performance against Stanford.
Corrigan released a statement thanking Doeren for his 14-year tenure and leadership. Running back Duke Scott praised his former coach on Monday, describing him as a great leader who did a lot for the program.
In addition to Doeren’s dismissal, NC State fired general manager Andy Vaughn and defensive coordinator DJ Eliot. Todd Goebbel, who served as running backs coach and special teams coordinator since 2019, was named interim coach and praised Doeren for addressing the team respectfully before his departure.
Under the terms of his contract, Doeren is owed $9.75 million for the remaining three years, plus the remainder of the current season. Reflecting on his sudden unemployment, Doeren noted that he had been coaching continuously since 1994 after playing tight end at Drake University.
“I’ve never been unemployed,” he said. “So these last few days in October, waking up with an empty calendar with no alarm clock has been very different.”
Doeren and his wife, Sara, previously donated $1.25 million to the OnePack Empowered program, which supports neurodivergent students and those with executive functioning challenges. Doeren confirmed that the family will fulfill the pledge in March and hopes the university community will sustain the initiative.
“It has made a big difference, and it was a big thing for our family and a legacy piece for us that we felt like was really needed on campus,” Doeren said.
