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NC State Football: Assessing Dave Doeren’s impact on the program

By Christian Candeloro

CLEMSON, SC - OCTOBER 20: Head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers and head coach Dave Doeren of the North Carolina State Wolfpack chat at midfield prior to their football game at Clemson Memorial Stadium on October 20, 2018 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images)
CLEMSON, SC - OCTOBER 20: Head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers and head coach Dave Doeren of the North Carolina State Wolfpack chat at midfield prior to their football game at Clemson Memorial Stadium on October 20, 2018 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images) /
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NC State football is winning games but doing little more than treading water in the ACC. What does Dave Doren have to do with that and is he the right man for the job?

A program undergoing a rebuild must learn to walk before it can run. A new coach must implement his system and culture, then acquire players that fit said system and culture.

The coach needs to win enough games to get high-star recruits into the program as he transitions into contending for championships and major bowl games.

NC State under head coach Dave Doeren, by all appearances, has learned how to walk. After a ghastly 3-9 campaign to open his tenure, the Wolfpack is 36-23 since, including an excellent 9-win season in 2017. The Wolfpack is beating the teams they are supposed to beat. Under Doeren, NC State has lost to only two teams with a losing record (a 33-30 loss to 3-9 ECU in 2016, and a 28-13 loss to 4-8 Wake Forest in 2013).

Unfortunately, although the Wolfpack has walking down-pat, every time it tries to run, it turns into an uncoordinated mess that can’t get out of its own way. Doeren is just 2-13 against AP Top 25 teams and has never been able to get over the hump of competing with the ACC’s elite and challenging for an ACC title.

Which begs the question…is a 10-win a year program a successful one if it never beats anyone nor competes for an ACC title? What can be made of Doeren’s time at the helm of NC State?

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