Dave Doeren: "We Were Tested Today"
NC State head coach Dave Doeren met with the media following the Wolfpack's first practice of 2024 Fall Camp.
NOTE: Click on the video in the player above to watch Doeren’s press conference.
If the first day of fall camp ever gets old…
It's good to be back on the field with the guys, for sure. As a head coach, getting to put your phone in your locker, going outside, and being a part of football, it's a great, great opportunity. We were tested today. It was nice and hot. It felt good out there. It's fun to see the guys running around.
On this being his most talented team at NC State…
It's too early to say. It's definitely a good group of guys. There's competitive depth at most of the positions. It's the first day. We're excited about the group of guys that we have, and we’re excited about how they work this fall.
On how he’s built the team depth….
It's development, retention, and recruiting. It’s a combination of the three. The guys that have been here have been in [Dantonio Burnette’s] program and been in our offseason football school with our staff, and then the new guys that we brought in, we like as really good fits. It's just a combination of those three things.
If anybody’s leadership surprised him...
Not really. It's who we expected. It was good to see Tamarcus Cooley made some plays today and had some nice interceptions. Keenan Jackson had some nice catches. These two guys stepped up today. I thought they looked good in practice.
On Victory Day…
I love Victory Day. It’s an opportunity to do something for the community with a group of folks that we love and consider family. It’s a chance for us to bring GiGi's Playhouse in here, make them a part of our roster for a day, and have a lot of fun with them. Our guys love it as much as the people coming in here to be a part of it.
If he’s seen a return on investment he’s made in the community...
I feel a return; obviously, the community is the one you hope feels the investment. Walking into the dining room here in a second, and seeing Sam and Anna working in there, that's what brings a smile to my face. The number of parents and emails and things that come in, not just about Victory Day, but about OnePack Empowerment program that Sarah and I started on campus… There are a lot of good things happening in Raleigh right now to help a lot of people that, in the past, maybe didn't had that same kind of opportunity.
On the NIL collective...
Those guys do a great job. It's been an evolution, and a lot of people have been a part of it as it's changed over the years. And the guys running it, along with Doug Fillis, our consultant that we've hired. The guys do a great job. They do it the right way. They work with our compliance and do it by the book, and they work really hard. Our donors have stepped up and are continuing to be asked to step up. It’s a big part of college football, as you know, and I’m really proud of our collective and how they've worked with us.
On enhancing financials via postseason success…
I think it's huge. It's a great opportunity for the teams that succeed and put the product on the field. That's what it's about: it's earning who you are on the grass. Every opportunity, you get to improve your program, status, and ranking, and now that you're getting money for your program, when you do that, it's not just an incentive thing. The bottom line is the bottom line, and that's going to help us. It's going to help our administration and the things that we want to do to continue to push the envelope and move our way up the ladder.
On highlighting defensive backs in the transfer portal…
I just felt like we were young in some spots. [Devan] Boykin is still out from the bowl game, and I just wanted to add some guys with experience. As you know, we lost some last year, and [we got] some guys in that have played significant snaps, particularly guys that have played Power Five football, that were ready for folks coming with our schedule. It felt like we did a great job. The guys in the recruiting office really do a phenomenal job identifying guys, getting our coaches involved, then recruiting them and their families the right way, and educating them on what NC State has to offer.
On getting new players acclimated to the program…
In January when I walked in the team room, there were 40-some new guys. I told the guys right here, “We have a lot of work to do.” It wasn't just football; it was getting to know each other. We've built the calendar a certain way where guys have a chance to really talk in front of the team, where they can get up and tell their story, where guys can learn a lot about a player that hasn't been here, in his journey. Sometimes, you take that for granted, and these guys are three, four, or five years into college football, and the glue of your roster is what helps you win games. When you get into those adverse situations, are they going to play for each other? They don't really know these guys. We did some things in the offseason. Our whole team went to Camp Rockfish and did an overnight. We had great team building for 48 hours for our guys, and our position coaches do a lot of things with them, but I've been really intentional, because of the numbers, making sure these guys aren't strangers and that they're brothers.
On Sean Brown moving to linebacker…
He's a smart football player. In-game last year, we had to move him there when Payton [Wilson] was out. In the Clemson game, he had eight tackles in the fourth quarter. He showed us that he can play there in a game, but he's built for it. He can run. He’s physical. He’s got really good instincts and vision. He understands Coach [Tony] Gibson's defense and what he wants. That position has to have a guy that can really run and erase things, and Sean's built for that.
On what he’s looking for in fall camp…
Well, you want to see clean football. We're looking at fundamentals. You are still throwing and catching. You're still fitting guys up as blockers, and the alignments of the formations, the timing of the plays, communication, the disguise on defense, the pursuit, and all the things that we can do. That's what we're looking for.
If there are any positional battles he’s looking at…
On the offensive line, there's some competition there. I’m looking forward to seeing that at the guard positions, left guard in particular. There are some really talented young receivers, and I just want to see how they come along and what they can do to help. In some spots on defense, we brought in some older DB's, and there's a competition there. Every day, these guys have an opportunity to film, as your resume, and go out to show what you are.
On the receiver corps stacking up against anybody…
We'll see. It's definitely a talented group. There's their size and speed; those guys that can really catch the football and run. Our testing numbers were good in the receiver position. A lot of guys showed up and ran well. We're excited about what's there, but we haven't played football with these guys yet. We're just out there doing this.
If he’s hired new on-the-field staffers…
No, we haven't. We’ve got what we got, and the guys are all working hard and have their roles. They're doing a good job.
On developing on-field coaches…
It helps a lot. In this profession, you never know when you're going to lose people, and [it helps] being able to train, not just on the field coaches, but in the recruiting office. When you have people leave, [you have] someone there that's ready to step in that knows how to do things, knows how we do things, understands what the program and culture is all about. So I always look at trying to elevate first within the program, and so having that lineage of people helps.
On Matt McCabe…
I'm really proud of Matt. Matt's worked really hard. He does everything we ask him to do. He plays really hard. He trains really hard. He handles himself well in the community and in the classroom. It's a great story. To me, it's a travesty that walk-ons may not be a part of college football. I don't know if that's finalized or where that's all going. We're still just getting used to the same thing. You guys saw that it's 105, and what does that mean, and how is that funded? There's a million questions, so I don't want to stand here and tell you they're gone when something may change. You guys know how important that program has been to me in building this program, the walk on program that we've had, and the players that have been in it, from Thayer Thomas all the way up the ladder. Thayer's playing in the NFL, and other schools I've coached at, you had guys that were all-conference and All-Americans. I hate seeing any opportunity taken away from student-athletes, and walk-ons willingly join football teams. They're not forced onto football teams. You talk about player safety; reducing the size of your roster is a concern for coaches. We worry about that. It will change how we practice. When the rosters get smaller, we're going to have to change the reps.
On Grayson McCall…
We're very, very grateful that he's here. We’re excited for him. We're impressed by him. He understands the game. He's a quick learner. He's a really good teammate. He goes hard. He holds himself to a high standard. He has no problem holding guys accountable, and he does it in a good way. He's demanding but not demeaning with people. He's got great touch on the football. His game management skills, his clock management, and everything… he's just a vet, and he's a great fit in our program.