You could argue that there are few coaches as polarizing as Mark Gottfried that roam the sidelines in the NCAA. He has had his fair share of criticism from his time at Alabama and has always drawn scorn for his approach as a players coach. Just this past NCAA run some compared his philosophy to that of having inmates running the asylum. Gottfried’s approach is not typical in the way he allows his players more freedom within his system. He doesn’t have a so called, “it’s my way or the highway approach.” Some old school fans may vehemently disagree with this approach, but this is the type of approach that kids are looking for. I believe whole heatedly this is why Gottfried has been able to up the level of recruiting at State. He is approachable and relates well to recruits and their families. Ralston and Trevor both spoke highly of Gottfried and credited their relationship with him prior to his time at State as a big reason why they choose to run with the Pack.

However, with success and rising expectations each season it seems that many like to pile on Gottfried for his so called “mediocre” results recently. Or people like to chastise him for his high turnover of transfers each offseason, but I have no problems with him letting kids leave if they don’t want to be a part of the Red & White. It is pretty simple with Gottfried, his approach is catered to motivating his players and instilling a confidence to advance come March. Many may complain about the up and down results. I too wonder how can we look so great against UNC one game; only to lose to BC the next.

I don’t have an answer as to why.  I was with Gottfried for his first two seasons as a team manager and can attest that his approach was steady regardless of the next opponent. He always reminded his guys that each ACC win equals one. I firmly believe that Gottfried is the best option for NC State.  Sure, the man has weaknesses, but what coach doesn’t? Gottfried doesn’t shun from the spotlight and relishes the challenge of competing in the ACC. He doesn’t mind standing toe-to-toe with UNC and Duke. Coach Gottfried wants to be at NC State. This is why we should do our best as a fan base to give him the support. If we look at the record books, Gottfried is tops in many categories among the line of coaches at State for wins at this point in his career. I trust that he is going to get the job done at State by luring top talent to Raleigh. He may not be the best X’s and O’s coach, but he has a great ability to motivate and get his best out of his players when the lights are the brightest.

Time will tell if Gottfried can figure it out for the Pack. I feel like we are closer to the peak than we have been in sometime. What are your thoughts on Gottfried?