NC State fired football coach Dave Doeren, the school’s all-time leader in wins, Saturday evening less than 24 hours after a disappointing loss to Stanford dropped the Wolfpack to 3-4 in a season that began with dreams of an elusive 10-win season and first-ever appearance in the ACC title game.
The season unraveled quickly – and now Doeren’s tenure, the longest in program history, is over in the middle of his 14th season. The 54-year-old went 98-74 at NC State.
“I want to thank Coach Doeren for his service and contributions to NC State, and for always representing the university with pride,” NC State athletics director Boo Corrigan said in a statement. “I appreciate his leadership during his 14-year tenure and the passion he brought to this role. We wish Dave, Sara and his family the best in the future.”
Doeren, who was hired from Northern Illinois after the 2012 season, was under contract through Dec. 31, 2029. The university owes him approximately $9.751 million in remaining base salary for the final three seasons plus the additional months of this year’s salary. Doeren’s total compensation was more than $6.375 million.
Running backs coach and special teams coordinator Todd Goebbel will take over head-coaching duties for the remainder of the season, NC State announced. Goebbel, who has been on the Wolfpack staff since 2019, serves as the running backs coach and special teams coordinator.
A national search for Doeren’s replacement is underway, the school said. Former NC State and NFL quarterback Philip Rivers, whose son Gunnar has committed to play for the Wolfpack, has already been floated as a potential candidate. Rivers has never coached at the college or professional level.
Some fans had grown restless after Doeren’s long tenure, which produced solid results, especially against lower-level competition, and a 9-4 record against rival North Carolina.
A blowout loss in this year’s opener at Virginia and an inexplicable loss at Vanderbilt earlier in the year — when third-year starting quarterback CJ Bailey fumbled in the end zone as he tried to run out the clock and Vanderbilt recovered for the game-winning touchdown – derailed any chances of the Wolfpack putting together its first 10-win season under Doeren.
NC State struggled in the second halves of games, including being outscored 28-0 after halftime in a 38-14 home loss to Wake Forest.
But Friday night’s 31-28 loss at Stanford, in front of less than 13,000 fans, was the final blow — moving Corrigan to end the Doeren era despite his publicly stated opposition to mid-year coaching moves. The Cardinal entered the game with just three victories, coming against Hawaii, Georgia Tech and Elon. NC State fell behind 14-0 early and never led.
“It starts with me,” Doeren said during his post-game press conference. “The guys didn’t play well enough, which means I didn’t have them ready.”
He added: “It wasn’t good enough … not even close.”
NC State has five games remaining, including three consecutive home games against Cal (Oct. 31), Duke (Nov. 7) and Syracuse (Nov. 14). NC State finishes with road games at Florida State (Nov. 21) and North Carolina (Nov. 28).
Big hopes for 2026 season
The Wolfpack entered the season with hopes of competing for an ACC championship, bolstered largely by the return of Bailey. But the Wolfpack lost key players in the transfer portal and the optimism faded quickly after the loss to Virginia.
After a 41-31 win against Appalachian State on Sept. 26, one in which App State rallied to tie the game late before NC State rallied to secure the win, Doeren appeared frustrated with reporters’ post-game questions, reminding them: “By the way, we won that football game.”
It was the latest – and last — of Doeren’s so-called “Salty Dave” quips. Doeren, who played tight end at Drake in the early 1990s, had an unquestioned affection for the university and his program.
Doeren brought stability to a program that had struggled to sustain success. NC State hasn’t won an ACC title since 1979. The Wolfpack received 11 bowl invitations during his tenure, but never won more than nine games or reached the ACC championship game. His best chance at that elusive 10-win season was in 2021 when UCLA cancelled its Holiday Bowl game against NC State just hours before kickoff.
Doeren did endear himself to the fanbase with his obvious disdain for the rival Tar Heels — and his record of success against them. He ended his career at NC with five consecutive victories over North Carolina, including a 42-19 rout in last year’s game.
He coached several notable NFL players at NC State, including Bradley Chubb, Jacoby Brissett, Ikem Ekwonu, Garrett Bradbury, Alim McNeill and Payton Wilson. In total, 30 players were drafted while he was in Raleigh.
Questions about Doeren’s future had surfaced before this season. Rumors circulated in media and football circles that he could leave the program following the 2025 campaign, but Doeren told reporters at the time that he wasn’t considering retirement.
Corrigan had previously expressed opposition to midseason coaching firings. He now faces his second high-profile coaching search of the year, following men’s basketball coach Will Wade’s abrupt departure in the spring.