NC State has parted ways with head coach Dave Doeren after a 3-4 start to the season, the school announced on Oct. 24. Doeren was in his 14th season leading the Wolfpack and finishes with a 95-70 record, the most wins in program history.
“I want to thank Coach Doeren for his service and contributions to NC State, and for always representing the university with pride,” said Boo Corrigan, athletic director.
The university said Doeren is owed $10.3 million. He had three years remaining on his contract. The decision came after a 31-28 loss at Stanford on Friday that left the Wolfpack below .500 following a season that began with heightened expectations.
Season context and immediate changes
NC State entered 2026 with ambitions of contending in the Atlantic Coast Conference after retaining quarterback CJ Bailey in the offseason. Instead, the Wolfpack stumbled early: they were blown out in the opener at Virginia, suffered a last-play loss to Vanderbilt when Bailey fumbled in the end zone, and were hit by a string of injuries, according to the school’s announcement and reporting from ESPN.
Running backs coach Todd Goebbel will take over as interim head coach for the remainder of the season. The school said it will begin a nationwide search for Doeren’s replacement.
- Doeren’s tenure: 14 seasons, 95-70 record, the program’s winningest coach
- Financials: Doeren is owed $10.3 million with three years remaining on his deal
- Interim coach: Todd Goebbel, running backs coach, named interim for the rest of the season
Doeren took over the Wolfpack in 2013 and produced consistent winning seasons, but the program never reached an ACC championship game under his leadership and never won more than nine games in a season. The move removes one of the longest-tenured coaches in the Football Bowl Subdivision; Doeren had been the fourth-longest-tenured coach in FBS at the time of his dismissal.
The athletic department’s announcement cited Doeren’s contributions and leadership during his time at NC State. The school provided the personnel decision and the financial figure for the remaining contract obligations but did not include additional detail on the coaching search timeline.
The Wolfpack’s record and the internal decision follow a season of uneven results and roster setbacks that left the program short of the preseason expectations that accompanied the effort to keep their starting quarterback.
