NC State creating coaching pathway through NCAA rule change
As NC State hit the practice field for fall camp this week, there was a noticeable increase in coaches on the field working with the Wolfpack’s players.
No, the Pack didn’t hire any more full-time coaches, but a new NCAA rule change allowed its off-field staff members to gain valuable experience. Before, only the 10 full-time coaches could provide technical and tactical coaching instruction during practices and games.
But now, that has changed. Any of a college football team’s staff members can help teach. That, in turn, has turned college football into an unlimited coaching staff. Although NC State did not hire any more staff members, its less-experienced coaches have a unique opportunity to grow within the program.
NC State coach Dave Doeren thought the rule change was a positive move and it will help the Wolfpack establish a coaching pathway in the event he needs to fill an assistant coach position on staff.
“I think in this profession, you never know when you’re going to lose people and being able to train, not just the on-field coaches, but in the recruiting office training guys,” Doeren said. “When you have people leave, someone’s there that’s ready to step in and knows how to do things, knows how we do things and understands what the program and culture is all about.”
For NC State, this means quality control coaches Gavin Locklear (wide receivers, who has already been on the recruiting trail this cycle), Jake Ellsworth (linebackers), Jackson White (the Wolfpack’s stellar special teams mind) can directly impact games and practices. The same can be said for the team’s graduate assistants, Brian Greene (offensive line), Kevin Hodges (defensive backs) and Spencer McCourt (quarterbacks and wide receivers).
Defensive line assistant Elisha Shaw, a former top recruit in the country that began his coaching career at Alabama, can do the same on the Pack’s front three.
While the Wolfpack has the extra minds working directly with the players on the field — and they will be able to do the same in-game with the 18 iPads NC State will have on the sideline this fall — the team wants to keep it balanced.
NC State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson wants to avoid having “too many chefs in the kitchen” when it comes to instruction, but he sees the positive impact the new coaching format will have on both the program and up-and-comers in the industry.
“We have a great group of young coaches, analysts, GAs that do a great job of understanding our schemes,” Gibson said. “So, it’s great for them to get that experience and be able to help coach guys up.”
And as the staff members, who were previously confined to cutting film and other non-instructional tasks, learn within NC State’s system, it sets the Pack up well for the future.
Doeren, who is in his 12th year at the helm of the program, believes that is an opportunity to build a pathway to a full-time assistant coaching position for some of his lower-level coaches.
“I always look at trying to elevate first within the program,” Doeren said. “So having that lineage of people helps.”
