24 minutes of NC State HC Dave Doeren at ACC Football Kickoff
NC State Head Coach Dave Doeren met with the media in the breakout session at the 2022 ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte. Here is 24 minutes of unfiltered conversations between Doeren and members of the media.
NOTE: Click the video above to watch Doeren’s discussion. Below is a collection of quotes.
“I think all of us that were like that [overlooked in the recruiting process], I was no different and not recruited at all, you’ve got a chip on your shoulder. You want to prove who you are as a man and a competitor, compete with those who didn’t think you were good, and let them know through your performance that they made a mistake. That definitely drives Isaiah [Moore] and a lot of players.”
“With our grant of rights, it’s kind of hard to be worried about our league. We’ve got 14 teams that can’t go anywhere with a $120 million escape fee. I think it’s going to change somehow and someway. I don’t know which way, but it’s the commissioner’s job to figure out. We have total faith in Jim [Phillips]. He’s done a great job since he’s been here. It’s changing, and where it’s going is driven by television, network things, and things outside of my conversations. I’m watching just like you are, but with our grant of rights being protected, I think we’re in a strong position as far as not worrying about teams leaving.”
“[Revenue gaps are] a big concern. Obviously, if one school is getting $30 million more than another school, they can do more things with that money. It’s been that way for a while, though. If you look at what’s happened, we’ve still had a team in the playoffs eight of the last nine years. We’ve overcome it, but we wouldn’t like to overcome anything we didn’t have to. I know that’s paramount to the commissioner; he wants to be able to generate more revenue through TV or other avenues, and we talked about that in there. He came from the Big Ten which generates a lot of money in TV. He knows how to do it, so it’s just a matter of giving him enough time.”
“I think it’s going to change so much, and for [Moore], you have to be pure to who you are in this profession. It beats you down, but it also lifts you up. You can be deflated, and you can get inflated very quickly as a coach. You’ve just got to stay true to your values. You’ve got to know things are going to change. There are going to be a lot of things that are out of your control, but if you realize that you’re a coach because you like helping young men, being part of a journey, and being a servant, it’s a really good profession, and you’ve just got to remind yourself of that.”
“I want to bring [a championship] to [the fans]. I want to help them ease that pain. It’s been 42 years in football. I want to do what [Wes] Moore did with women’s basketball to get them over the hump. Anything’s possible if we do it right and do it consistently with the right people. Our fans are incredible, and I understand. It’s been a long time as a fan. I want to bring it to them.”
“[Devin Leary] is one of the best, if not the best, quarterbacks in the country. He gives you an opportunity. You can’t win a championship without a guy like that. There’s a lot of different types of quarterbacks. As far as drop-back passers go, it’s hard to find another one like him. He’s really good.”
“I’ve always felt like, when you’re in a conference, you should play the teams in your league. Being in the Triangle, Duke’s been one of the teams we only play once every six years. That doesn’t make sense. That’s not a good experience as a student-athlete when you don’t get to play every team in your league, especially if I’m from Virginia and I never play Virginia or Virginia Tech. A kid could go to NC State, play for five years, and not play those teams. I also think having the best two teams play each other for championship at the end is great. It’s better than having a 12-0 team playing a seven- or eight-win team while a 10-win or 11-win team [stays] at home. Let’s put the best two teams on the field and let them figure it out. I’m excited about it. It could happen this year. It’d be great, but that’s not realistic. I’m glad it’s coming.”
“You never want to see rivalries end. That part of it is disappointing. Our schedule’s filled up, so there aren’t any opportunities to add teams to the non-conference slot to match up with [Wake Forest].”
“[Bringing all 10 assistant coaches back] is a huge advantage, and it speaks to the work environment that we’ve created. It speaks to the culture, not just of our team, but of our staff. I’m lucky to have all of my coordinators return now for, offensive and defensive coordinators, three years and, special teams coordinator, four years. My players know the language of our staff. It’s a beautiful thing. When you walk in a room, they can finish each other’s sentences all the time. It allows us to do things differently than when it’s not that way. We’re still teaching, don’t get me wrong, but we’re able to teach a much different way. As they start to talk, these guys can finish what they’re saying. It’s the same thing in our staff room. I can look at a guy and say, ‘Hey, you know what I need you to do?’ ‘Yeah, I got it.’ ‘All right.’ It’s a really good situation.”
“It’s funny. If you asked Tim [Beck], we’d never go for it on fourth down. It all comes down to our ability to get it. If I feel good about how we’re doing in the run game or in the play-action game, or if they’re not a team that does well in those types of situations defensively, we’re going to be aggressive. But it’s not just an offensive decision. It’s a team decision. A lot of this is a feel on gameday. We’ve got analytics just like everyone else, but you may get a game where they’re running the ball well, or they’re scoring points, and we have to take some risks. Then there’s games where the defense is killing them, and we’re like, ‘Just punt the ball. We’re going to get it right back. Why take the risk?’ It is a feel factor on gameday. Tony [Gibson has] done a great job, man. He’s done a great job, and I’m excited for him and his staff. They’ve got a lot of new players.”