We now have the second coach firing in the 2026 cycle.
On Saturday, NC State fired 14th-year coach Dave Doeren following an ugly 31-28 loss on the road against Stanford on Friday night. The loss dropped the Wolfpack to 3-4 on the season and 1-3 in ACC play.
Doeren leaves Raleigh with a 98-73 record but finished below .500 against conference opponents. He led NC State to four nine-win seasons during his tenure, most recently in 2023, but his teams have finished 6-7 and 8-5 over the last two seasons.
His 2026 squad suffered blowout losses against Virginia and Wake Forest while also taking a baffling loss against Vanderbilt on a game-losing fumble-touchdown in the end zone.
Doeren was fairly consistent with the Wolfpack, but with his best days behind him, a change has been speculated for a few years now. Judging from the NC State faithful's reaction, it seemed many viewed this move as a long time coming. It also drew quite a response from rival fanbases, some of which were sad to see Doeren go.
— Hawk Pack 🇺🇸 (@Mudcat2024) October 24, 2026
FREE AT LAST
— Mr. Controversy himself (@TommyHouse101) October 24, 2026
FREE AT LAST
GOOD GOD, ALMIGHTY WE ARE FREE AT LAST
Good. I love Dave! Still. This had to happen!
— Dennis Holzschuh (@DennisHolzd4u) October 24, 2026
— Ian (@McKeown_Ian) October 24, 2026
NCST fans at church tomorrow pic.twitter.com/0dpFykP1o1
— In Jeff Brohm We Trust. (@InBrohmWeTrust) October 24, 2026
Imagine losing to Vandy, Wake Forest, Stanford, and Virginia in 2026
— Cason Wallace Supremacy (@Wiggs4Pres) October 24, 2026
I guess NC State finally read the room after last night.
— Jackson Johnson (@JacksonVOCFB) October 24, 2026
Saw that coming from about 1,000 miles away.
— Clemson Sports (@ClemsonSports) October 24, 2026
Noooooooo pic.twitter.com/s7qHIAPAA4
— BlueDevilJunkie (@BlueDevilJunkie) October 24, 2026
This article originally appeared on For The Win: NC State fans relieved after longtime coach Dave Doeren's firing