Dave Doeren Shuts Down Retirement Speculation at NC State
During Dave Doeren's 13-year tenure at NC State, the football program has maintained a consistent but modest level of success, resembling a cramped New York City apartment where the floor feels close to the ceiling. Since his hiring in 2013, the Wolfpack have typically won between seven and nine games each season from 2014 to 2023, never exceeding nine wins in a single year.
Each of those nine-win seasons earned NC State a spot in the AP Top 25 rankings, although the team has narrowly missed playing in the ACC Championship game, falling just one game short. Despite consistent performance, NC State has yet to make the trip from Raleigh to Charlotte for that title game.
The coaching landscape shows examples where steady but not spectacular success has led programs to change direction. For instance, Georgia replaced Mark Richt with Kirby Smart and improved their results, while Minnesota fired Glen Mason despite six bowl appearances in seven years, only to attend two bowl games in the following five seasons.
"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."
Doeren shows no signs of frustration or desire to leave, continuing to focus on building the program and pursuing further success.
Author's summary: Dave Doeren remains fully committed to NC State football, rejecting retirement rumors as he looks forward to continuing his coaching career with the Wolfpack.