So yeah, we know. The season isn’t over and Gottfried is still the coach (update: He’s been fired), but we watched another 2nd half of poor basketball last night and with all the rumors swirling, I think this thing has a pretty clear ending. We know you don’t want to read ‘what went wrong against UNC.’ Shoot, it’s the same stuff that went wrong in their first loss against Creighton or the loss against Miami. So instead, we want to write what you are likely here to read. A first glance as some potential hires for the POSSIBLE upcoming coaching search. Here we go.
Archie Miller (Dayton) This is a no brainer. To be honest, I believe if Archie was having a bad year then the ‘fire Gottfried’ call would not have been quite as loud. However, Miller is having a great year, is tied for first in the A-10 and most likely making a move after the season. State donors and fans all realize that the time is now or never on Miller, which is likely what started the ball rolling on moving away from Gottfried despite a track record that may have at least bought him another year.
Either way, Miller would be a homerun hire for State. Would he be the best hire? I don’t know. He would certainly unite the fan base and he certainly would bring more of a structured atmosphere around the program. He is an up and comer who is on everyone’s radar. Which brings us to…
Would he come? Good question. He is an alumnus. His wife’s family lives about 1.5 hours outside Raleigh. Those are the plusses. We know his dream job is OSU and Thad Matta is having a bad season, but will they fire him? I doubt it. If that job were to open then Archie would take it. That’s pretty much the bottom line. Now, aside from that scenario, would he think about coming to NC State. We’ll have to wait and see, but it’s certainly not off the table if the Wolfpack open up their pocketbook and pay him out (offer the guy $3.5 mil and make him turn you down.)
Will Wade (VCU) If Archie is your 1A then Wade is your 1B. Honestly, Wade might be the better get of the two, but with Archie being from NC State and having connections I think fans know that he’d understand the situation of NC State better than Wade. Honestly though, does that matter? Wade is a hard-ass, no-nonsense, tell is like it is kind of guy and he’s only 34 years old. He’s the one tied with Archie for 1st place in the A-10. This is only his second year at VCU and he’s having a ton of success, but would he jump to the ACC? I’m not so sure. This is a very confident coach who likes where he is at and seems self-assured that there will be big time jobs waiting for him when he’s ready to make the jump. Is NC State that jump? I don’t think a guy like Wade is necessarily looking at NC State and hoping they offer him something, but a move to the ACC would be a step up and again, if NC State makes Wade a HUGE offer he can’t refuse, they just might be able to pry him away from VCU. Take a look at some of Wade’s greatest hits.
Gregg Marshall
Marshall has always been on the Wolfpack fan’s radar. He won at Winthrop and then took the Wichita State job where he has been for the past 9 years. He has taken them to 5 straight NCAA tournaments and is well on his way to another as he sits at 14-1 (1st place) in the MVC conference. Marshall is a key candidate for the Pack because he’s likely ready to try his hand against the big dogs in the ACC. Marshall is a competitor. He’s a very fiery, very passionate coach who would fit well with the NC State fanbase. The guy has a chip on his shoulder, he has been overlooked and all he does is keep on winning (oh and he hate’s Jeff Goodman so that’s a plus)
So what’s the catch? Money. Marshall is making over $ 3million. That is a ton for the head coach of Wichita State. But what does that show you? Wichita State has no business paying their coach $3.3 million, but they did and they are now a powerhouse in their conference. If NC State would just stop trying to find a bargain and open their wallet up, then they might get the right guy here. If you want to compete with the top teams in the nation, then you need to offer a top-line salary to your next coach. Show Marshall the money and there’s a good chance you could pry him.
As you can see in this clip, Marshall isn’t necessarily interested in much else than the business of basketball. He isn’t interested in Jeff Goodman’s take that people don’t like his personality. He’s an outsider that nobody gets. Well, guess what. NC State is also an outsider that nobody gets and if you want a guy who isn’t scared one bit of standing up to Roy and K, then Marshall is your man. Marshall has won and won big everywhere he’s been. You want a winner? Offer Gregg.
Chris Holtmann (Butler) Lots of talk around Holtman right now. He stepped in for head coach Brandon Miller a few years ago when he was forced to take a medical leave. Holtmann was the top assistant and moved to the HC slot. Now, he’s done a pretty good job there and he’d be a nice hire, however. I think Hottmann is probably your 4th or 5th best option at this point. Sure, he’s taken a Butler program to two consecutive tournaments in his first two years, but NC State is a different animal. Coaching at NC State means much tougher competition, attracting a different type of player, etc. Could Hotlmann do it, I think so. Would he be a major upgrade to our program. Probably. Would he come to NC State? I think that is big thing with Holtmann. I think he would. With his name seemingly floating around out of nowhere, I wonder if his agent or his people aren’t the ones floating it. Maybe I’m wrong and he plays it safe and stays at Butler. I mean, he is a top 25 team and 2nd in the Big East, but maybe he wants to get paid. He’s only making about $1 mil, so a offer for $2.5 might get him if Butler doesn’t re-up.
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In part 2 we’ll look at another group including: Chris Mack (Xavier), Greg Mcdermott (Creighton), Kevin Keatts (UNCW) and Tom Crean (Indiana)
I will say this. I’ve questioned a lot of Yow’s decisions but I have to give her this… she listens to fans when they are fed up. Her office was getting tons of emails calling for Gott’s head and she responded. Maybe not as quickly as I liked but she acted.
Wolfer96
7 years ago
When the new coach is hired, if he has to clean house and start Corchianni Jr at PG next season I will support that. We need a coach that kids will respect and also kids that are coachable and play their asses off for their coach.
Wolfer96
7 years ago
Here’s hoping we get it right this time and choose a real winner. As always I am willing to give the next guy 4 seasons to prove himself. Just want to see progress each season, some decent defense, and disciplined basketball. If the next guy can build the team with 3&4 stars and be kicking ass by year 3/4 I could live with that too. Nothing worse than losing with 5 stars.
Wolfer96
7 years ago
Well it’s official. Gott is axed. I don’t hate Gott but I never liked his hiring. It felt like Yow either struck out on the big names, pissed off a couple of coaches then was forced to settle on a guy who was fired from his previous job. Not a recipe for success.
Wolfer96
7 years ago
I heard we screwed up with Marshall during a previous coaching search so he may not be interested. Otherwise I think he would make a good candidate. He’s a fiery guy and his guys play disciplined basketball.
I still like McDermott and Holtman. That game we played against Creighton, we were totally and completely outcoached. Holtman is the guy you want if you like the young up and comer.
McDermott’s utter failure at Iowa State in what was an otherwise stable and successful program concerns me. Not to mention he hasn’t had great success at Creighton since his son graduated, although they are definitely looking good this year. Holtmann, though, appears to be great and his time at Gardner-Webb at least gives him some link to the region.
Yeah I may lean more towards Holtmann myself. He unexpectedly became headcoach at Butler and really took full advantage of the situation. He’s young and likely has that energy needed at a program like State where the kids don’t appear to be buying in.
McDermott is such a long shot anyways. But Holtmann, IMO, is a true target. I just think this time around NC State needs a guy who mirrors the personality of the fan base. The softer, friendlier approach didn’t translate well for Herb Sendek despite putting together some pretty nice seasons. I think they need to put a huge package together and throw it at Arch, Wade and Marshall.
To me, those are your top 3 guys. You basically ask them what its going to take to get them here and you match it. After that then you go to your second tier. I think Keatts is your last option, but I hear he WILL take it.
With McDermott, he has a track record of improving programs at the lower levels (see Wayne State & Northern Iowa) but has struggled at times in the big leagues. But when he has talent he wins. Maybe it’s just a matter of pairing him up with good recruiters.
The Wolfpack Baseball team has won the first two games in the series against the Tar Heels, clinching a series victory over UNC for the first time since 2021. It marks the first time NC State has won a series against the Tar Heels in Raleigh since 2016.
NC State defeated UNC in Volleyball 3-1, winning in Chapel Hill for the first time in 25 years. The Tar Heels had won the last 5 matches against the Wolfpack.
The Wolfpack defeated the Tar Heels 39-20 in Football in Carter-Finley Stadium. It marked the 3rd consecutive win over UNC.
NC State lost both regular season games to UNC in Men’s Basketball, but when it mattered most, the Wolfpack defeated the Tar Heels in the ACC Championship Game 84-76, winning their first title since 1987.
The Wolfpack Women’s Basketball team lost to their rival in Chapel Hill, but defeated UNC 63-59 in Reynolds Coliseum. NC State has won 5 of the last 7 against UNC.
In Gymnastics, NC State defeated UNC 196.725-194.925 in Raleigh. This marked the 3rd straight victory for the Wolfpack over the Tar Heels.
NC State’s Men & Women’s Swimming & Diving teams both beat UNC. The Men won 258-93, and the Women won 196-157.
The Wolfpack Wrestling team defeated UNC 33-6 in Reynolds Coliseum. NC State has won 11 straight Duals against the Tar Heels.
The NC State Men’s Tennis team defeated UNC 4-0, winning against their rival in back-to-back years.
The Wolfpack Women’s Tennis team has defeated the Tar Heels 4-3 on two occasions thus far this season, and will face their rival again today.
The Cross Country teams didn’t have individual meets against UNC, but the Women obviously beat them, because they won the ACC Championship. The Men didn’t, finishing 8th in the Conference, with the Tar Heels finishing 1st.
The only other NC State athletic team that didn’t taste victory against UNC this year was the Women’s Soccer team, losing 0-4 in Raleigh.
Of course, each of these NC State athletic teams has much higher goals than just beating their rival, but there’s no denying how sweet it is to beat the Tar Heels.
Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James (6’5″/200) is on a visit to NC State currently, according to a source.
Indiana State Transfer Ryan Conwell was on campus last week, but he just committed to Xavier.
From what I hear, the staff preferred James over Connell anyway. A plus with James is he has 2 years of eligibility, whereas Conwell has 1.
News broke about James entering the Transfer Portal back on March 25th, and NC State was quick to reach out. Kevin Keatts and his staff recruited the former 4-star prospect out of high school heavily, but he ultimately chose the Cardinals.
Rivals ranked James as the #71 overall player in the 2021 recruiting class, and ESPN ranked him as the #7 prospect in the state of Florida.
After redshirting his first year in Louisville due to torn achilles, James has been a starter for the Cardinals the past two years. This year, he averaged 12.6 points and 5 rebounds.
For a more extensive look at James’ game, click here.
Rivals ranks James as the #77 overall player in the Transfer Portal.
Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James (6’5″/200) is a priority for NC State, according to a source.
News broke about James entering the Transfer Portal back on March 25th, and NC State was quick to reach out. Kevin Keatts and his staff recruited the former 4-star prospect out of high school heavily, but he ultimately chose the Cardinals.
After redshirting his first year in Louisville due to torn achilles, James has been a starter for the Cardinals the past two years.
This past year, James averaged 12.6 points per game (3rd on the team) and 5 rebounds. He’s extremely physical and aggressive, taking 47% of his field goal attempts at the rim (making 46%). As a result, he draws a lot of fouls, ranking 10th in the ACC in Fouls Drawn, and 4th in Free Throw Rate. James made opponents pay this year when they put him on the line, making 81.8% from the charity stripe, which ranked 15th in the ACC.
James shot the ball better as a Redshirt Freshman, than he did this past season. His Effective Field Goal Percentage in 2022-23 was 55.8%, which ranked 19th in the ACC, and his True Shooting Percentage of 59.6% ranked 14th.
He does have the ability to knock down a three, making 34.8% for his career.
Prior to this season, the record for most games started in a single season in NC State history was 37, with three Wolfpack players doing so: Lorenzo Brown, Richard Howell, CJ Williams.
Morsell now sits atop the list, and a fellow teammate, DJ Burns ranks second, with 40 games started this season.
I will say this. I’ve questioned a lot of Yow’s decisions but I have to give her this… she listens to fans when they are fed up. Her office was getting tons of emails calling for Gott’s head and she responded. Maybe not as quickly as I liked but she acted.
When the new coach is hired, if he has to clean house and start Corchianni Jr at PG next season I will support that. We need a coach that kids will respect and also kids that are coachable and play their asses off for their coach.
Here’s hoping we get it right this time and choose a real winner. As always I am willing to give the next guy 4 seasons to prove himself. Just want to see progress each season, some decent defense, and disciplined basketball. If the next guy can build the team with 3&4 stars and be kicking ass by year 3/4 I could live with that too. Nothing worse than losing with 5 stars.
Well it’s official. Gott is axed. I don’t hate Gott but I never liked his hiring. It felt like Yow either struck out on the big names, pissed off a couple of coaches then was forced to settle on a guy who was fired from his previous job. Not a recipe for success.
I heard we screwed up with Marshall during a previous coaching search so he may not be interested. Otherwise I think he would make a good candidate. He’s a fiery guy and his guys play disciplined basketball.
I still like McDermott and Holtman. That game we played against Creighton, we were totally and completely outcoached. Holtman is the guy you want if you like the young up and comer.
McDermott’s utter failure at Iowa State in what was an otherwise stable and successful program concerns me. Not to mention he hasn’t had great success at Creighton since his son graduated, although they are definitely looking good this year. Holtmann, though, appears to be great and his time at Gardner-Webb at least gives him some link to the region.
Yeah I may lean more towards Holtmann myself. He unexpectedly became headcoach at Butler and really took full advantage of the situation. He’s young and likely has that energy needed at a program like State where the kids don’t appear to be buying in.
McDermott is such a long shot anyways. But Holtmann, IMO, is a true target. I just think this time around NC State needs a guy who mirrors the personality of the fan base. The softer, friendlier approach didn’t translate well for Herb Sendek despite putting together some pretty nice seasons. I think they need to put a huge package together and throw it at Arch, Wade and Marshall.
To me, those are your top 3 guys. You basically ask them what its going to take to get them here and you match it. After that then you go to your second tier. I think Keatts is your last option, but I hear he WILL take it.
A 3 year resume at Wilmington? I don’t know.
Is McDermott a long shot? I thought he was only making a Mil a year currently?
With McDermott, he has a track record of improving programs at the lower levels (see Wayne State & Northern Iowa) but has struggled at times in the big leagues. But when he has talent he wins. Maybe it’s just a matter of pairing him up with good recruiters.