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Mark Gottfried was fired today by NC State. The pressure had become too much for the university to let things ride out any longer. At the start of the season, optimism was high with a highly touted roster that featured potential lottery pick, Dennis Smith, as well as landing five-star Omer Yurtseven. In addition to those two guys Gottfried landed Markell Johnson, Ted Kapita, and Darius Hicks. The new guys paired with in-house guys Terry Henderson, Torin Dorn, Maverick Rowan, Malik Abu, and Beejay Anya had things trending up.

It all proved to be a mirage at this point as NC State finds itself at 14-13 and 3-11 in ACC play. Defense and a general lack of heart have doomed the Pack to the cellar of the ACC. In the midst of a six-game losing streak AD, Yow decided that they needed to go in a different direction as a program but will allow Gottfried to finish the season.

Mark Gottfried did help NC State University. He found a way to get the program back to the NCAA Tournament four straight times after not making an appearance in its’ previous five seasons. Coach Gottfried afforded me a great opportunity allowing me to be a student manager his first two years at NC State. He knew us all by name and treated us with great respect and for that I am thankful. Gottfried and his staff worked hard to bring NC State resources and talent to compete in the ACC.

NC State has a rich basketball history. Mark Gottfried came into NC State and displayed that history throughout the practice facility with renovations worthy of that tradition. The training room was top-notch with resources to help players recover and heal quickly. At the PNC he helped renovate the locker rooms as well as the training rooms to reflect an ACC program. Gottfried also didn’t back down from the two schools to NC State’s west. He was savvy with the media helping NC State gain more national exposure with features on ESPN as well as ESPNU that gave inside looks to practice.

NC State has a lot to offer Mark Gottfried’s successor. The fanbase, facilities, tradition, greatest conference in the country, competition, and potentially a decent roster for next season. Things did not reach the heights many wanted for NC State; however, Mark Gottfried did provide some great memories. We beat UNC and Duke. Two Sweet Sixteens including knocking off the one seed Villanova. There is no reason to dwell on his shortcomings at this juncture. He made the most of his opportunity upon his arrival. He injected some much-needed life into the NC State Basketball program and for that, I am thankful for his service. I will be applauding him this Saturday and I hope others will too.

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FUQUAYPACK
FUQUAYPACK
7 years ago

Gott has done nothing but talk good about the program. He is fired. Let him finish the season with class Pack Fans. Don’t have to agree with his coaching … That being said…If we are pressing for Archie…why does fire happen during the season. Now Archie has to answer media ?’s while coaching a 21-5 Tourney Team. Dayton is going to through the vault at him. This parting of ways seems sloppy.

Wolfer96
Wolfer96
7 years ago
Reply to  FUQUAYPACK

As long as the ppl involved can keep their lips sealed we can talk to coaches during the season without anyone knowing. It’s all about being discreet and letting those outside of the administration do the talking. We should stay away from coaching search firms as they have a horrible track record. Let friends of the program do informal querying of interest by the coaches on our list.

tookandsaid
tookandsaid
7 years ago

Congratulations- this is one of the best post I’ve seen in a while (not just talking about in this site – packpride, statefansnation, backingthepack, etc). Loved the videos – very informative.

Wish someone could really catch the ear of the one with the pocketbook at State and really open it up for Greg Marshall – or someone like that. Just seriously stop trying to find the bargain coach.

wolfpack74
wolfpack74
7 years ago

Now the a$$hole gives a $hit what the fans think. Why in the hell is he still coaching in Raleigh? Let’s not say he is fired, let’s say he is transferring.

wolfpack74
wolfpack74
7 years ago

Rejoice. Let’s celebrate. Can’t get any worse. Get rid of Smith and keep the rest. Get Y7 in shape. Fire all of the staff. Move on.

Tarhater
Tarhater
7 years ago

Basketball coaches aren’t the only people whose past performance has little bearing on the present. What Coach Gott did 2-4 years ago is only relavent as standard to compare his performance to today. His performance drop off has been rapid and dramatic. Any business person knows the price you pay in a performance based environment when this happens. It got Gott. I wish him future success.

Wolfer96
Wolfer96
7 years ago

The ACC in my opinion has always been the best conference. But with the addition of Louisville/Notre Dame/Syracuse/Pitt, the ascension of UVA/VT, and overall improvement by league teams… it’s going to require a coach of magnitude to compete in this league. A half-ass coach will no longer make it in this new ACC. I hope we get a real motivator and bball scholar. Someone with V like charisma.

wolfpack74
wolfpack74
7 years ago
Reply to  Wolfer96

Call me stupid but if you want a motivator and bball scholar, go get Bruce Pearl at Auburn. I watched him take a lack luster Tennessee all the way to number 1. Didn’t end well but it was fun living in the midst of it.

Wolfer96
Wolfer96
7 years ago
Reply to  wolfpack74

Yeah I think he’s a great coach but doesn’t seem to realize that he’s an old man and shouldn’t be partying with college kids. I prefer a little more mature coach.

Wolfer96
Wolfer96
7 years ago

Remember – State only dropped off the last 30 years due to an overreaction by shitty administrators. It had nothing to do with unc or duke or facilities or anything other than mismanagement of the program. No excuses, hire the right guy and get this program back to where it should be.

Wolfer96
Wolfer96
7 years ago

I agree Mark did some good things. He recruited at a high level and even had some tourney success. But we deserve even better. Too many ppl compare him to Les, Sendek, and Lowe. That is crazy. Those were some of the worst coaches in State history. We need to aim high and not be afraid to have high expectations.

NC State Basketball

NC State Forward Ernest Ross Enters the Transfer Portal

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NC State Forward Ernest Ross announced today that he is entering the Transfer Portal.

 

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Ross played in 14 games this year, averaging 3.4 minutes per contest. After playing in 34 games last season, averaging 11.4 minutes per contest, Ross saw his participation dip to a career low this season, but that didn’t for a second break his infectious personality. On the sideline, you could count on Ross every single game to be the heart and soul of the Wolfpack on the bench. To watch a player who played as little as he did, care as much as he did, makes me super proud that this young man represented NC State so well.

Ross was a consensus 4-star player in the 2021 recruiting class, with 247Sports ranking him as the #60 overall player nationally. ESPN ranked him as the #5 overall player in the state of Florida.

Ross has one more year of eligibility remaining.

NC State has 3 scholarships available now.

Best of luck Ernest!

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NC State Basketball

What did the Wolfpack’s Incredible Run to the Final Four Mean to NC State Legend Chris Corchiani?

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What did NC State’s miraculous run to the ACC Championship and Final Four mean to Wolfpack legend Chris Corchiani? I caught up with the man who is still NC State’s all-time leader in Assists and Steals to get his take.

What was it like for you watching NC State go from the #10 seed in the ACC Tournament, to winning the Championship, to going to the Final Four?

Man, it was unreal. They caught lightning in a bottle and it was an absolute amazing run. They were a mediocre team all year that turned into a feared team that nobody wanted to play! To win the ACC championship in 5 days and to get to Final Four…..Wow!!

What did this run say about Kevin Keatts and these players? In what ways did you see them adapt, change or persevere?

Keatts received a lot of criticism for 7 years and after this run is deserving of great praise. I think shortening the lineup to 7-8 guys and doing away with the full court press and playing solid half court defense was a great move that obviously paid huge dividends. He also kept this team together which was not easy as they lost last 7-9 going into the. postseason. The guys also grew confident in their roles and played possessed!

As one of the best players to ever wear the Red & White, what did this run mean to you personally?

This run was something I have dreamed about happening and the fact it was so unexpected made it so much sweeter! To see the students, alums, boosters, and fans get what we all have been waiting for was the best!

What was the most memorable moment for you?

Most memorable for me was going to Final Four with my family and enjoying catching up with old friends, boosters, friends and teammates!

How do you think this run can change things for the NC State Basketball program going forward?

This run gives us momentum in so many ways. Listen, this was good not only for our hoops team but for our University! Hopefully our recruiting will take a big step forward with kids wanting to run with the Pack! A month of free advertising should be Huge for the future of our Men’s and Women’s basketball programs!

_______

When NC State legend Chris Corchiani left NC State, he not only held the school’s record for career Assists and Steals, but he also was career leader in ACC conference history. His 40.8% career Three-Point Percentage ranks 7th in school history. Corchiani was the first player in NCAA history to have 1,000+ career assists.

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NC State Basketball

ON3’s Jamie Shaw Puts in a Prediction Georgetown SF Transfer Dontrez Styles will Land at NC State

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ON3’s Jamie Shaw put in an RPM earlier today for Georgetown Small Forward Transfer Dontrez Styles to land at NC State. All-time, Shaw’s prediction accuracy is 87%.

I spoke with a source, and it seems like this prediction has some merit.

ON3 ranks Styles as the #66 overall prospect in the Portal.

Styles was the 2nd leading scorer for Georgetown this season, averaging 12.8 points per game, while grabbing 5.8 boards. He shot 36.8% from three.

Originally, Sytles was a consensus 4-Star prospect in UNC’s 2021 recruiting class. 247Sports ranked him as the #62 overall player nationally, and the #2 player in the state of North Carolina, playing for Kinston High School.

After two seasons with the Tar Heels, Styles entered the Portal, and took an Official Visit to NC State and Georgetown, and ultimately chose the Hoyas.

With his final year of eligibility, maybe he’ll make the right choice this time.

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NC State Basketball

Tennessee Guard Freddie Dilione V is Visiting NC State Tomorrow

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Tennessee Transfer Guard Freddie Dilone V (6’5″/195) is visiting NC State tomorrow.

Dilone V just wrapped up his Redshirt Freshman season with the Volunteers, averaging 1.7 points in 5.2 minutes of play per game (18 games).

In 2022, Dilone V was a consensus 4-Star prospect, and the #33 overall prospect nationally according to Rivals. ON3 and 247Sports both ranked Dilone V as the #1 player in the state of North Carolina, playing right down the road at Word of God Academy in Raleigh.

Currently, 247Sports ranks Dilone V as the #71 overall player in the Transfer Portal, and the #10 Combo Guard. He played his first three seasons of high school ball down in Fayetteville at Trinity Christian.

Dilone V has 3 more years of eligibility.

 

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