RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina State University fired head football coach Dave Doeren on Saturday evening, less than 24 hours after the Wolfpack suffered a 31-28 road loss to Stanford.
The defeat dropped NC State to 3-4 overall and 1-3 in Atlantic Coast Conference play, prompting the program to make an in-season leadership change during Doeren’s 14th year at the helm. Running backs coach and special teams coordinator Todd Goebbel was named the interim head coach for the rest of the regular season, athletic director Boo Corrigan announced.
A Long Run in Raleigh Ends
Doeren, who arrived in Raleigh ahead of the 2013 season after two years at Northern Illinois, leaves the Wolfpack with a 121-78 overall record and a 5-6 mark in bowl games, Yahoo Sports reported. Before his dismissal, he stood as the fourth-longest-tenured coach in the Football Bowl Subdivision and the second-longest-tenured in the ACC, behind only Clemson’s Dabo Swinney.
Corrigan expressed gratitude for Doeren’s years directing the program in an official statement released Saturday.
“I want to thank Coach Doeren for his service and contributions to NC State, and for always representing the university with pride,” Corrigan said. “I appreciate his leadership during his 14-year tenure and the passion he brought to this role. We wish Dave, Sara and his family the best in the future.”
The firing marks a notable pivot for Corrigan, who publicly defended coaches against midseason dismissals in an October 2025 radio interview, saying at the time that such moves lacked dignity, according to USA TODAY Sports. Under the terms of his contract, Doeren is owed a buyout of $9.75 million for the three remaining years on the deal if fired without cause before Jan. 1, according to reporting by the Fayetteville Observer.
Turbulent Season Reaches a Tipping Point
Although Doeren managed winning records in all but three seasons at NC State, his teams never reached the 10-win threshold. The 2026 campaign began under scrutiny following an opening 34-8 loss to Virginia. While NC State recovered to beat Richmond, the Wolfpack suffered a stunning defeat against Vanderbilt in Week 3, when quarterback CJ Bailey fumbled near his own goal line with six seconds remaining while protecting a three-point lead.
After consecutive wins over Appalachian State and Louisville, NC State suffered a 24-point rout against Wake Forest. Following an off week, the Wolfpack traveled west to face a struggling Stanford program that had endured lopsided losses to Miami, Duke, Wake Forest and Notre Dame. Stanford controlled the line of scrimmage in the second half Friday night to seal the upset.
“It starts with me. The guys didn’t play well enough, which means I didn’t have them ready,” Doeren told reporters after the loss, calling the team’s inability to control the trenches “not good enough. Not even close.”
What Lies Ahead for the Wolfpack
Goebbel, who has been on the NC State staff since 2019, steps into the head coaching position for the first time in his career. The interim coach inherits five remaining games to salvage bowl eligibility:
- California
- Duke
- Syracuse
- Florida State
- North Carolina
NC State must win three of those final five matchups to secure six victories and earn a postseason invitation. The Wolfpack have qualified for a bowl game in every season since 2020.
