Board Of Trustees Approves New Contracts For Doeren, Popolizio
RALEIGH, N.C. – The NC State Board of Trustees approved new contracts for head football coach Dave Doeren and head wrestling coach Pat Popolizio.
"We are on an exciting upward trajectory in football under the leadership of Coach Doeren," said NC State Director of Athletics Debbie Yow. "He has assembled a terrifically talented coaching staff, as well, and that continuity and stability has been important to our current student athletes and recruits. We are pleased that Dave will continue to lead NC State football, playing in one of the most challenging divisions in college football, the Atlantic Division of the ACC.
"Pat has proven that NC State wrestling can compete at the highest levels, including winning the ACC and finishing in the top five nationally," Yow added. "Our future is bright with Pat at the helm of NC State wrestling."
Doeren's agreement, reached in December, runs through December 31, 2022.
In 2017, Doeren guided NC State to a 9-4 mark, while finishing 6-2 in ACC play, the most league wins for an NC State program in 23 years. The Pack's nine wins last season are the second-most in a single season in school history.
NC State finished ranked in the final College Football Playoff rankings for the first time in school history last season, wrapping up the season at No. 24. The Pack also finished the season ranked 23rd in the Associated Press poll, the first end-of-season ranking for the Pack since 2010.
Doeren and his staff continue to make significant strides on the recruiting trail, while developing and maximizing talent. NC State had seven All-ACC selections this past season, its highest total since 2002, while Bradley Chubb was honored as ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
The upcoming 2018 season will mark the sixth season at NC State for Doeren.
Popolizio has a new seven-year contract that runs through June 2025.
The 2018 ACC Coach of the Year, Popolizio led NC State to the 2018 ACC regular season title, the program's first since 2004, and the program's first undefeated ACC season (5-0) since 2000. NC State brought home the first team trophy with a school and ACC-best fourth place finish at the 2018 NCAA Championships. He added a third individual national championship this past season as Michael Macchiavello won the 197-pound title. NC State had a school-record two NCAA Finalists this season, first time ever in ACC history, and four All-Americans.
Popolizio, the 2016 FloWrestling National Coach of the Year, has guided his program to five straight top-20 finishes at the NCAA Championship and three straight top-10 finishes in the final NWCA/USA Today Coaches' Poll. NC State has been ranked in the top-10 for 40 straight polls.
Four of the last five ACC Wrestlers of the Year have been from NC State.