NC State head coach Elliott Avent met with the media Friday afternoon to discuss the Wolfpack's upcoming season.
NOTE: Click on the video in the player above to watch Avent’s interview.
You're in your 30th year here. What's different now compared to when you first came to NC State?
I don't think anything, to be honest with you. I mean, obviously, things change in sports and things change in life. But obviously, the facilities are the biggest noticeable difference. Scott Davis was here today who played for Coach Esposito and Coach Tanner, I believe, and I was an assistant coach back then.
So I had the pleasure of coaching Scott and coaching a lot of his players that he helped get here, including Patrick Bailey and a lot of other great players. But the first thing Scott said to me is, wow. The facilities are so totally different. So that's different. But I think everything is the same.
Players are today as they were when I first got into coaching for Coach Gozzo 45 years ago. They were the same kids, same players, same love for the game, same ambition, same anxiety. Their thoughts are the same. It's just as society and not society, but the NCAA has changed things. I got one kid, he told me the other day, he has one class in person from 10 to 11 on Monday. I'm like, you got to be kidding me.
I mean, I know we went to online during COVID, but it's like learning has changed. I mean, and so, but as far as me personally, not one thing's changed from the first day I got here in 1996 to today. It's just still the same love for a school that I grew up loving when I was five years old. It's the same love for NC State, same love I have for the players.
I talked to an old assistant coach I had in the summer league at Waynesboro, Virginia, and he called me today. And he said, I remember that summer, what a love you had for the players. Because I told him I had to go talk to the team, and I was going to talk to him about a couple of things because he's a sports psychologist. And he said, the best thing I can tell you is just always make sure you show that same love you have for players that you did that summer in Waynesboro, which is why I got into coaching. It's what I still feel today. And so nothing's changed for me, nothing.
What’s it like, being just under a week away from getting to play real baseball again.
It's just like most men at Christmas time. You couldn't wait for Christmas to get here as a 10-year-old or a 15-year-old. And the players can't wait for the season over. And most men haven't got the presents they need to get for their wife or whoever. And they wish Christmas was another week away. And I wish opening day was another week away. But it always gets here too quick for me. I love opening day. I always have the same butterflies I had in 1996. That doesn't change. But opening day always comes a little early.
We've got so many new pieces. How do you get them to gel together quickly? Well, you talk to them all the time.
I gave a message that I thought was important yesterday. But I don't know what they always get out of it. Because, they're 18- and 22-year-olds. And like Rod Brind'Amour told me, after about six or seven minutes, they don't really hear what you're saying anyway. So you got to condense everything.
But it takes me a while to get things out. And we'll talk again tomorrow. Because we're not going to really practice much tomorrow. It's really cold today, which scares me. It's really cold tomorrow. So we're going to do more talking than anything tomorrow. I'll try to get a couple more messages. But the bottom line is every team that I've ever known, from Manti Te’o and David Thompson and Tommy Burleson and Tim Stoddard, their 1974 basketball championship team, to Sidney Lowe and Derek Wittenberg and Chris Corchiani and Rodney Monroe and Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber and, Bryce Harper. Eventually, Rod Brind'Amour hurricanes, every team has to eventually play for one another.
And why that's, I interviewed Adam Gold today and I told Adam, it's tougher today, not because the kids have changed. It's tougher today because we're getting 50% new kids to 50% returning kids that may have only been here a year. And in the old days, we coach kids that have been here for three or four years and they have a bond together. They have a love for one another. And you can, you always play hard, but there's something extra attached to playing with somebody you really care about and want to win for more than yourself.
And that's the hardest thing to build today. And the perseverance that Jimmy V always talked about is harder to create today because you can cut and run and you're actually taught to cut and run, to be honest with you, today. And it's probably one of the worst things about this transfer portal is the cut and run concept.
Obviously, you always have to deal with the cold as you're preparing for the season, but how much different has it been this offseason with the snow and having a few days that school was out and all these different things to kind of prepare for the season?
Oh, it's been really tough. This is, I think, the second scrimmage. Coach Hart just walked up here. He didn't know exactly, but I think it's the second scrimmage we've had this year. I felt like it was the first because I can't even remember the first one. And at this time, in a normal time, we'll open it up next Friday. He'll tell you exactly when you talk to him, but we probably had seven or eight scrimmages of some sort, whether it be four innings or whatever.
And we just haven't gone to that scrimmage. And the way you learn to play any sport is by playing the game. You can practice all you want to in basketball. You got to compete against one another in scrimmage. Football, you got to scrimmage against each other.
You got to play the game to learn the game. And practice is one thing. Playing the game is totally different. And that's what we've missed. That's the thing that scares us all right now. We haven't played the game. We haven't scrimmaged enough. And we're not going to scrimmage tomorrow with your word just because we're not going to put them out there in these temperatures three days in a row. We want them healthy.
And the other thing is, speaking of healthy, if we don't get them ready to play scrimmages, then when they go in a nine-in or extra-inning game early in the year, is somebody not in physical condition and going to pull something or whatever and you set yourself back? So right now, that's the biggest thing we talk about more than anything is we're not scrimmaging enough.
Do you talk about Omaha to establish the goal at the beginning of the season or not? Or you just kind of leave it up to that time of the season?
No, in certain things, in certain ways, I usually talk about three things. There's three things for me in what we try to do is you want to go to postseason. And it doesn't matter how you get there. I remember we talked about the 83’ team. They had to win the ACC tournament. We talked about our basketball team a couple of years ago. They had to win the ACC tournament. But yet they made the Final Four.
So to me, it's about getting to postseason. So yeah, I talk about getting to postseason. And in baseball, in this league, because this league is so tough, the teams we play in non-conference are so good. To get enough wins to go to postseason is harder than people think. People just assume NC State's going to go to postseason because we usually do. But it's hard to get there. So I talk about getting into March Madness, get into postseason. And then I talk about getting to Omaha. And then the third thing is winning it all. That's the three things. If I ever touch on anything, that's the order in which I touch on things.
Talk a bit about the renovation for the facilities. Obviously, in the right field corner, fans are gonna be treated to four new faces adorning the Doak Field wall here. Can you talk about those four players finally getting the recognition here on the facade here?
You're talking about the outfield wall?
Yep, Carlos, Trea.
I think I grew up a Yankee fan because of my dad. And back then, everybody grew up a Yankee fan. They were the only team on TV. You got one game a week on NBC was the Yankees. And obviously, they had the marquee players. They probably had the most money. And my dad's favorite player was Joe DiMaggio, me, Mickey Mantle, like everybody of my era.
And so, whatever they call it, monument thing parked back there. And I saw Carlos Rodon, and I think Gerrit Cole and their manager, I think it was during the 9-11 ceremony, they took some wreaths back there or something.And when you see that back there and all the Yankees numbers that are retired, and I think every sports team retires numbers. I remember when I was in New Mexico State, I went to Arizona State, and I'd go, gosh, I didn't realize Barry Bonds played here. And I didn't realize, you know, so-and-so played here.
And I think it's a great thing for your university to bring some recognition and a great way to honor former players. And like I said, we honor Mike Caldwell, and I know his teammates, because I'm on group chats with him, their teammates are more happy about it than I think Mike is, because they're so proud. They think he deserves it, and they're so glad to see him honored.
And then you talk about Dan Plesac, 19 years of the big leagues, what he did here. And he's a big NC State. He comes back all the time.He gives us a lot of love on the MLB channel with my buddy Matt Vasgersian. And so I did, obviously, Carlos Rodon and Trea Turner. Best pitcher, and I don't use the term best. I don't use the term never, always. These are terms I try to keep my players away from. But best pitcher I've had since I've been here is Carlos Rodon. Best player I've had since I've been here, Trea Turner. So to see those four names go up there is, it means a lot to me.
What are your thoughts on the level of competition that you're going to face the first weekend going into Puerto Rico?
I have no idea. I know the staff has been, I know, I think JT and them watched Washington yesterday, maybe. I think Clint's watched Washington and Indiana State with Josh Fisher. And I don't know. Our staff does such a great job on that end. That's something I don't even talk about.
What does it mean to be playing that level of competition on the first weekend?
Like I said, college baseball is at the height of, as good as it's ever been. This league is as good as it's ever been. And the people we play, non-conference, because of North Carolina has so many great teams. When you talk about East Carolina, UNC Wilmington, UNC Greensboro, Campbell, and the list goes on and on and on.
Coastal Carolina, who we play a lot and have a little bit of a rivalry with. There's so many great teams in this area that we have to fly up and play sometimes twice. And then our league is ridiculously hard. But everybody is good. I just know nothing about these teams, except I think Washington, I think I heard Coach Hart say Washington finished maybe fourth in their league last year. And it's a great league. And so, but I worry more about us right now than our opponent.
What is it about the Carolinas in this area that makes college baseball so much talent in the area?
I think there's a lot of great players in the state of North Carolina. I think it's a tribute to all the travel teams, all the, from Little League up, West Raleigh, the players they have put out, including Josh Hamilton and Landon Powell and just all the great players they've put out.
But it's, baseball is big in the South. It always has been. The weather is conducive for it. But all these teams that I just mentioned, UNC Wilmington, East Carolina, they have great facilities, Campbell, and they put so much money into their program.
It's a big, it's a big sport at most universities in the South, baseball.It's still a love by older people who grew up when I did, and baseball was, I'd say, the big sport. I mean, football took over a long time ago and leads, it leads the train right now. But there was a time when baseball was king. And we still have those fans around. But I just think baseball fits in North Carolina.
What do you think the state of NC State Athletics is right now?
I told somebody about it two days ago, Rob. I told somebody right now, they were talking about, asked me a question about something, not like that. And I just said, we have such great coaches here. And I mean that sincerely. And I grew up in this university, and you talk about Norm Sloan, Jimmy Valvano, Kay Yow, Bobby Guzzo, Rollie Geiger, who's still doing it, right? Laurie Henes.
You talk about all the great coaches, Mike O'Kane, Chuck Amato. Gosh, it's been so many great coaches here. I mean, people don't realize Lou Holtz coached here. People don't realize the guy from the Seahawks who's bounced around a little bit right now. I can't call his name. Pete Carroll, a lot of great assistants here. But, Cignetti, who just won the national championship. He helped me recruit Russell Wilson here.
There's been so many great coaches here, but right now, I think we have as good of coaches at NC State in every sport as we've ever had.We're right here beside tennis. They do an unbelievable job. I go there sometimes and just, see their athletes and talk to them and watch what they do. They do a tremendous job. Pat Popolizio, I think he's on the road to Pitt tonight.
What an unbelievable job he's done with the wrestling program. And, Wes Moore, I say he's the best coach at NC State. He could take any program and coach it, and we'd probably be good. So, just tremendous coaches here right now. It's just fun to be a part of NC State athletics right now.
Does that kind of make it a responsibility to say, I got to maintain this stand?
No, I don't. I don't like what other people do. No, I just tend to what I do.
Coach, last thing I'll ask you, I mean, how much pride do you take in the fact that all these things are here now? You talked about the facilities at the beginning and then where the program is. I mean, how much pride do you take in what you built here?
Oh, I didn't build it. First of all, it was built by Coach Esposito. He is the architect of anything that NC State baseball ever was and is now. He is the architect. I always call him the godfather of NC State athletics because he was assistant coach in basketball when they won the national championship in 74’ for Coach Sloan.
Got kicked out of a baseball game in the first inning to get to Greensboro to play UCLA and then their seven-year national title run, which was one of the most unbelievable things we've ever seen in sports is their seven years, one of the national titles, and we beat them in Greensboro in overtime. Still one of the greatest games I've ever watched.
And so Coach Esposito built this. Ray Tanner did an unbelievable job and just played for Coach Esposito, coached for Coach Esposito, and then he's the reason I'm here. He left here in his frustration and we wouldn't get facilities done. And so when I came here, I just kept trying to do what they taught me to do and my love for NC State and we all feel a connection. And when I got the job, Ray Tanner called me and I thought he was calling to congratulate me. And I said, hey, and he said, don't screw it up and he hung up. And we all have a lot of love for this program.
We all have a lot of pride in this program. If you ever played here and we all want to keep it going because we still feel connected. So to see these facilities finally come to what this program is so richly deserved, it's very proud for me.
Ray Tanner is going to the Hall of Fame. Can you just speak to that if you don't mind?
Ray Tanner gave me my first job here, assistant coach. Scott Davis was on the team. Scott had played for me at Junior College, Lewisburg Junior College for the great, legendary Russ Frazier. And, being an assistant coach at NC State was just a dream come true for me. And Ray learned so many things from him and still do today. Still a great friend.
So what he did at South Carolina was such incredible. I think he won back-to-back national titles, didn't he? I think the field's named after him and he's going to the Hall of Fame, richly deserved. He's such a smart sports person, such a good person. And he's always really smart and a businessman, right?
Ray has always been a businessman and he's done such a success. I wish I could be there. I know we're going to be somewhere else, but I would love to ride down there and be there for him getting inducted at the Hall of Fame. He means a lot to me and he means a lot to this program and it's much richly deserved.
