Dave Doeren praises NC State leadership for stepping up ahead of week 1

Dave Doeren tried to explain a feeling that’s difficult to put into words Tuesday. He’s entering year 12 as NC State football’s head coach and, as he grows older, he enjoys game day more and more. 

To understand how he feels leading up to kickoff, you just have to be there. Doeren watches the cocktail of emotions course through his team and cherishes each entrance into Carter-Finley Stadium. 

He’s the winningest coach in Wolfpack football history, and the chance to lead the program never gets old. 

“Every game is exciting for me,” Doeren said. “The first game, it’s just been a while, you know? The longer you coach, the more you appreciate the opportunity, and coming out of the tunnel with your guys and seeing the excitement, the energy, the anxiety, all of it, it’s impossible to explain.”

Doeren met with the media twice over the past week. On both occasions, he emphasized the grind the Wolfpack goes through for 12 guaranteed opportunities— a dozen chances to add to NC State football’s legacy. 

So, when he gets the chance to join the team for its walk through the Murphy Center tunnel and take in the echoing roar of the Carter-Finley Stadium crowd, he embraces the moment, just like his team embraced the process to get to this game. 

Months of preparation led to this week, and Doeren was happy with how the team handled just about everything NC State’s staff threw at the players this offseason, including game planning for Western Carolina. 

“It’s a good group of leaders in the locker room,” Doeren said. “Our captains do a great job and, whatever we’ve asked, they’ve stepped up.”

Graduate quarterback Grayson McCall joined the program in January, but he has certainly established himself as one of those veteran voices in the locker room. His teammates selected him as one of four team captains during fall camp. 

The Wolfpack signal-caller will suit up for a new program in his sixth season of college football, but he still wants to lead. 

“One of my biggest goals coming here was to get the respect of my teammates and be elected team captain, so it’s a special feeling,” McCall said Monday. “It’s an honor.”

While preparing for this fall, McCall had the chance to face off against defensive coordinator Tony Gibson with offensive coordinator Robert Anae guiding him through the process. The experience within this staff and throughout the roster gives the Wolfpack a chance to bounce ideas off of each other and grow from lessons learned through competitive practices. 

“It’s fun to see the chess match— coach Anae and coach Gibson back and forth— and then the quarterback is obviously a huge part of that. And they have good conversations after practice, Grayson and Tony, on what you saw, what was hard today, and I think it’s good information.

“Grayson has played football a long time. He’s seen a lot as a starter, so I think he appreciates being tested. There’s not a coverage that he’s going to see all season that he didn’t see in training camp. He’s definitely ready for what’s in front of him.”

NC State’s coaches want to make a statement this season. Doeren has previously emphasized that this team’s goal is to win the ACC and make the first 12-team College Football Playoff. They went through summer conditioning and fall camp with those goals in mind. 

When it was time to switch over to opponent-specific preparation, the head coach said the transition went smoothly. This iteration of the Wolfpack is doing whatever it takes to have a successful season this fall. 

“These guys, they want to win,” Doeren said. “And when you tell them, ‘Hey, here’s what’s next, here’s why we’re doing it, this is how we’re going to do it, they just line up and go. That’s been fun. There’s just no resistance. There’s a lot of guys working together.”