NC State coach Dave Doeren passionate after Clemson win, 100th career victory

It didn’t take long for NC State coach Dave Doeren to respond to a critic following the Wolfpack’s 24-17 win over Clemson on Saturday afternoon. And by not long, the red and white’s coach wasn’t even off the field before he said his piece. 

“Tell Steve Smith in the studio this ain’t a basketball school,” Doeren said in his postgame interview on The CW. “He can kiss my ass.”

Smith, the former longtime NFL wide receiver with the Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens, was the celebrity guest picker on ESPN’s College GameDay earlier in the day. As he picked Clemson in the matchup, Smith made a remark about NC State’s fan base.

“NC State, unfortunately,” Smith said, “they’re waiting for basketball to start.” 

About five hours later, the Wolfpack downed the Tigers to earn its fifth win of the season and its second in ACC play. And Doeren had more words for Smith in his postgame press conference.

“We’ve won a lot of football games here in my tenure — we’re second or third in the ACC in wins in football,” Doeren said. “So he can take that and put it where it belongs. But this is not a basketball school. This is a great school, it has great sports, and football’s one of them. If he wants to come see me, we can talk about that. But do your homework before you start talking s—-.”

Not only was the win monumental for the Pack’s season after its bye week, but it was a historic one for Doeren. 

It marked Doeren’s 77th victory at NC State, which tied him for the most wins all-time in Raleigh with longtime coach Earle Edwards. Edwards went 77-88-8 from 1954-70. The win was also Doeren’s 100th of his career as a collegiate head coach, dating back to his two seasons at Northern Illinois before he took over at NC State. 

Doeren took over at NC State in 2013 and posted a three-win season in his first year with the Pack. But after that, he turned the Wolfpack back into a consistent winner. Doeren guided the Wolfpack to five straight bowl appearances and has earned eight berths to the postseason since he took over. 

Not only has NC State been a steady program under Doeren’s tutelage, it has only posted two seasons with less than seven wins — 2013 and the four-win 2019 campaign. Outside of that, the team has finished comfortably over .500. 

The path to this moment has been full of big wins — including his other win over the Tigers in 2021 — and Doeren was glad he could hit the century mark at NC State. 

“It means a lot,” Doeren said. “That was my 100th win as a head coach, and you go through a lot in this chair, and it is a benchmark for any head coach. To do it here, to be here 11 years, and to be able to go through all the ups and downs. As a father, to be able to keep my sons in their schools for this amount of time, it’s been a win.

Doeren has had his sights set on this mark — and the NC State record — for seven years. He said he spoke in a staff meeting in 2017 and had a goal: “to be the winningest head coach here.”

The staff and him talked about what it would take to get to that moment, and he has neared that goal — just one win away. 

While he was emotional after the game, NC State’s players were happy to help Doeren reach a career milestone that is not a given in the coaching profession. 

“I’m very excited for him,” senior linebacker Jaylon Scott said. “I know he appreciates us a lot, just knowing that he’s surrounded with a group of fighters, and a group that’s not going to quit. I feel like with us getting the opportunity to go get the 100th dub for him, it means a lot to the whole program.”

Doeren thanked the staff that he’s worked with over the years as a head coach, and he said it would not be possible without everyone that has helped get him to this moment. 

But he is not currently alone at the top of NC State’s record book. It’s a tie with Edwards, and Doeren is looking forward to surpassing him. 

“I’d like to own it singular, and not tie,” Doeren said with a laugh. “I look forward to the next opportunity, but it is nice to get to 100.”