Why did NC State fire Dave Doeren? Wolfpack make change in wake of loss to Stanford originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
NC State lost 31-28 to Stanford on Friday night, a result that was apparently enough for the Wolfpack to make a coaching change.
Less than 24 hours after the result, NC State announced it fired long-time head coach Dave Doeren amid the 3-4 season. Doeren was one of the longest-tenured head coaches in the country, as he had been in Raleigh since the 2013 season.
In Doeren's spot, special teams coach Todd Goebbel will take over the team on an interim basis. Goebbel has been at NC State since 2019 and has never been a head coach in any capacity.
NEWS: NC State has fired head coach Dave Doeren. Wolfpack lost to Stanford last night.
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) October 24, 2026
Here's more on why NC State fired Doeren.
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Why did NC State fire Dave Doeren?
NC State fired Doeren on Saturday following a loss to Stanford on Friday night, marking the Wolfpack's fourth of the season. That puts NC State just one loss away from matching its total from all of 2025, yet the team is still five wins away from reaching last year's eight-win mark.
"I want to thank Coach Doeren for his service and contributions to NC State, and for always representing the university with pride," AD Boo Corrigan said. "I appreciate his leadership during his 14-year tenure and the passion he brought to this role."
Doeren had been at NC State since 2013, producing losing seasons just three times but never reaching 10 wins in any season. The Wolfpack seemingly decided that it was time to move on from Doeren after over a decade of similar results.
*This story will be updated*
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