Dave Doeren By The Numbers

Close games have a way of separating the good teams from the great ones.  Sometimes it is all about which team wants it more, which team is more focused, and which coach is calling the shots in crunch time.  Dave Doeren’s teams have been among the best when it comes to winning a closely contested game.

In his four years as a head coach he has compiled a stellar record in games that are decided by four points or less.  In fact, he is the leader in win percentage among the Power 5 conference coaches with a percentage of 77.8%.  In his 9 games that were decided by four points or less, he has come away with the win in 7 of them.  If we expand the parameters to a one possession game, he has won 13 out of 17 games, for a win percentage of 76.5%.  The numbers speak volumes about Doeren and his staff.

Not only do close games reveal a teams’ true identity, but it also reveals a lot about a coach.  If coaches cannot remain calm and stick to their plan; then players will regress in the pressure filled moments. However, Doeren does a great job of staying in the moment and sticks to his game plan.  He is also very acute on the sidelines and has a firm grasp of his teams’ pulse.  It appears that Doeren and his staff are excellent leaders.  This will be important for the upcoming season, with only 10 % of State’s roster being comprised of seniors.

It is obvious that his players respect him and play with the focus and desire necessary to win close games.  Winning is what it is all about.  That is why Debbie Yow pegged Doeren for the job to rebuild, as well as grow NC State into a national power in football.  In his four seasons as a head coach, he has won on average 8.5 games per season!  Those are pretty stout numbers considering the fact that he only won 3 games in his first season in Raleigh.  In fact, his average of 8.5 wins per season ranks 5th among ACC coaches.  Doeren will look to add to his 34 career wins this season.