Former NC State football coach Chuck Amato, who also spent years helping Bobby Bowden build Florida State into a national power, has died. He was 80. Amato died Monday after a recurrence of throat cancer.
Amato was much more than a coach at NC State. He played linebacker for the Wolfpack from 1965-67 before returning to the school as an assistant coach. Years later, NC State hired him as its head coach, a job he held from 2000-06. Amato went 49-37 and took the Wolfpack to five bowl games.
His biggest season came in 2002. With future NFL quarterback Philip Rivers leading the offense, NC State finished 11-3, beat Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl and finished No. 12 in the AP poll. The 11 wins remain the program’s single-season record.
Amato also played an important role at Florida State. He joined Bowden’s staff in 1982 and was part of Seminoles teams that won national championships following the 1993 and 1999 seasons. After his NC State run ended, Amato returned to Florida State from 2007-09.
Ohio college football fans may also remember Amato from his final coaching stop. He worked at Akron from 2012-17 before retiring.
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