NC State OC Robert Anae impressed with spring practice, intrigued by what lies ahead

NC State offensive coordinator Robert Anae arrived in Raleigh with 35 years of coaching experience. He helped construct productive offenses at 9 different programs over that time, so he is extremely familiar with what it takes to successfully install a scheme. 

Anae broke it down into five phases of critical development. The first of which begins in spring practice, where the team practices with the coaching staff for the first time that calendar year. Through those initial practices and installation meetings, Anae sets the foundation for what he believes leads to a successful product on the field. 

The Wolfpack picked up the system at a quick pace. 

“I’m basing this off of other stops I’ve been at, this is probably the best start of all of them,” Anae told TheWolfpacker.com. “I’m talking the four weeks of spring, this is probably the best start from that snapshot point.”

While the early signs from the Wolfpack offense are encouraging, the next phase is out of Anae’s control. Coaches can not be in-attendance for the program’s summer workouts, so NC State’s leaders have to step up and make sure the team’s growth continues on an upward trajectory.

“A lot of the improvement is player owned and player driven, so I’m very interested, when we start fall camp, to see where that starting point is,” Anae said. 

In previous years, Anae said the team made a significant jump during summer workouts. Unless the players take the initiative to take that step forward, the team will not be where it needs to be. 

“We all are interested to know how good our player-driven leadership is because that will definitely determine the outcome,” Anae said. 

The third phase of Anae’s development plan occurs during fall camp, and the program then continues improving through the first three games of the year before truly hitting its stride towards the end of September. 

NC State’s staff can not meet much with the team during the current section of summer workouts, so Anae talks to the leaders of the team and shares what he is looking for from these offseason training sessions. 

The workouts are not casual, and Anae expects them to be executed with intention. Graduate student tight end Trent Pennix is one of the athletes who took on the responsibility of leading the Pack. 

“It’s not just ‘Hey, what are we doing today?” Anae said. “It’s ‘No bro, you have to now become a master teacher in simulation,’ so it’s really like fighter pilot school, and you don’t have these pre-made simulators that some other smart people have put together and collapse into this short training. 

“No, I’m asking the leaders to get out there with your position groups, and you guys now become masters of [defensive] simulation.”

Anae separates his receiver room into two groups. He coaches the inside pass catchers, which also include tight ends and h-backs, and Joker Phillips coaches the outside receivers. 

The 2022 Syracuse and 2021 UVA offenses both boasted a first-team All-ACC tight end under Anae’s coaching. Oronde Gadsden II caught 61 passes for 969 yards and 6 touchdowns during his sophomore season with the Orange. That was Gadsden’s breakout year, and the Wolfpack coordinator looks forward to helping someone reach similar heights in Raleigh.

“That one kid over there was first team ACC, and everyone was going ‘Where did this kid come from?’” Anae said. “So, alright, now it’s time to do that here.”

Quickly processing information is critical in a fast-paced, air-raid offense like Anae’s. Through years of learning from offensive innovators like legendary head coach Mike Leach, the Wolfpack coordinator crafted a system that prevents the athletes’ minds from tying up their bodies. 

“That’s at the heart of a 30 year evolutionary path for me… Players with clear minds have fast legs,” Anae said. “If that thinking is slowed down, now the legs go slow because now there’s a lot of caution.”

Anae’s system is all about making sure the athletes know it is ok to make a mistake and not letting that interfere with their play on the field.

“The fear of failure is daunting,” Anae said. “I’ve tried over the years to get a system to where, at least, you can clear it up at a high level as fast as you can. When you flip to the next play, here we go with that thing.”

When communication is not flowing, the offense does not click. And when the program is not putting up points, the coordinator recognizes that is not a product the fans want to watch. 

He heads into the summer focused on putting up points in Carter-Finley Stadium this fall that show why he is a three-time nominee for the Frank Broyles Award, which recognizes the top assistant coach in college football each year. 

“They want to see player connection, they want to see teamwork, they want to see something that represents them, so that’s kind of the approach that I’d like to gear the offense to,” Anae siad. “Let’s hit a high level here, at least with the intention that we’re representing a state that’s going to be proud of the teamwork that’s displayed.”

After spending more than half a year on campus, the coordinator  had nothing but great things to say about the program. He believes head coach Dave Doeren truly embodies the culture of the program he built over the past decade. 

The coordinator looks forward to continuing the program’s climb, and he believes he has the right group of players to accompany him on that journey. 

“I think our players really want to get behind something that adequately represents who they can become,” Anae said.