NC State fires Dave Doeren, school's winningest coach, a day after 31-28 loss to Stanford

North Carolina State fired football coach Dave Doeren on Saturday, Oct. 24, in the middle of his 14th season. The move came less than 24 hours after the Wolfpack lost 31-28 at Stanford on Friday night and fell to 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the ACC.

Doeren leaves as the winningest coach in program history, with 98 wins. The school did not wait for the season to end.

The statement and the interim

Athletic director Boo Corrigan issued the school's statement. "I want to thank Coach Doeren for his service and contributions to NC State, and for always representing the university with pride," he said. "I appreciate his leadership during his 14-year tenure and the passion he brought to this role."

Running backs coach and special teams coordinator Todd Goebbel, on staff since 2019, will serve as interim head coach for the rest of the season. The school said a national search for a permanent replacement begins immediately.

General manager Andy Vaughn was also dismissed, an NC State spokesperson confirmed.

How the season came apart

The Wolfpack opened with a 34-8 loss at Virginia. At Vanderbilt, quarterback CJ Bailey fumbled in the end zone while trying to run out the clock, and Vanderbilt recovered for the winning touchdown.

A 31-28 win over Louisville on Oct. 3 offered a brief reprieve. Then came a 38-14 home loss to Wake Forest in which NC State was outscored 28-0 after halftime.

Stanford was the last one. The Cardinal came in with three wins, over Hawaii, Georgia Tech and Elon. NC State fell behind 14-0 early and never led, in front of fewer than 13,000 fans. Stanford quarterback Davis Warren threw for 303 yards and four touchdowns in a 477-yard day for the Cardinal, according to CBS Sports.

Outside the Louisville win, NC State is 0-4 against Power Four opponents this season.

"It starts with me," Doeren said after the game. "The guys didn't play well enough, which means I didn't have them ready."

The record

Doeren arrived from Northern Illinois after the 2012 season. He went 3-9 in his first year in Raleigh, then turned the Wolfpack into a regular bowl team: 11 bowl games in 13 full seasons, including each of the last six. He went 9-4 against rival North Carolina and posted 10 winning seasons.

The ceiling is where the argument sits. Philip Rivers' 2002 team remains the only 10-win team in school history, and Doeren's four nine-win seasons never broke that mark. WRAL reported that some fans had grown restless with a résumé that produced solid results, especially against lower-level competition.

CBS Sports also pointed to the transfer-portal and NIL era as a problem. After last year's 8-5 season, the Wolfpack paid to keep Bailey but lost running back Hollywood Smothers (Texas), receiver Noah Rogers (Alabama), tackle Jacarrius Peak (South Carolina) and receiver Terrell Anderson (USC).

Corrigan had publicly opposed mid-year coaching changes, WRAL reported. The Stanford loss was enough to change that.

What it costs

Doeren's contract ran through Dec. 31, 2029. WRAL reported the university owes him about $9.751 million in remaining base salary for the final three seasons, plus the remaining months of this year's pay. The New York Post put the figure at $10.3 million. Another outlet described it as more than $9.75 million if fired without cause. The school has not itemized the number in its statement.

That is a large sum to pay a coach who was, by the school's own account, a loyal and long-serving employee. It is also the price of a decision Corrigan had said he did not want to make in October.

The buyout is not the only bill. The school will now pay for a national search, and it is already carrying the cost of a general manager's exit.

Who's next

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that Rivers, the former NC State and NFL quarterback, could be a name to watch. Rivers' son has committed to play for the Wolfpack next season. Rivers has never coached at the college or professional level, though WRAL reported he interviewed for the Buffalo Bills' head coaching vacancy in January. NC State has not said whom it will pursue.

This is the school's first coaching search since 2012. Maryland and Mike Locksley parted ways earlier this week, making Doeren the second coach out in a matter of days.

The road ahead

Goebbel's first game as interim coach is Oct. 31, when NC State hosts California. The remaining schedule also includes Duke, Syracuse, Florida State and North Carolina.

The Wolfpack have not finished with fewer than six wins, and missed a bowl game, since 2019. At 3-4, they need three wins from those five games to keep that streak alive, with the interim coach and a general manager's office both in transition.