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The Dave Doeren era at NC State has come to an end.
Athletic director Boo Corrigan announced the school is parting ways with Doeren on 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 in the statement. "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."
NC State slipped to 3-4 after a 31-28 loss to Stanford on Saturday – a loss that was part of a disappointing start that has included losses to Virginia, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest.
Doeren took over in 2013 and compiled a 98-73 record. The Wolfpack had 10 winning seasons and made 10 bowl appearances, but NC State never hit the 10-win mark under Doeren.
NC State coaching candidates
Who might be in line to take Dave Doeren's job at NC State? A look at some of the best candidates:
Charles Huff, Memphis coach
Huff, 43, would make sense as a fit given his coaching path since working as an assistant for Nick Saban at Alabama from 2019-20. Huff had a 32-20 record in four seasons with Marshall before a one-year stint with Southern Miss that resulted in a 7-5 record. He led Memphis to a 6-2 start in the American Conference. Huff is going to be one of the most sought-after Group of 6 coaches in this cycle, and he has led his teams to five straight bowl appearances.
Shannon Dawson, Miami offensive coordinator
Dawson, 49, continues to increase his stock as Miami's offensive coordinator, having produced prolific quarterback play from Cam Ward, Carson Beck and Darian Mensah in each of the last three seasons. Dawson has no head coaching experience, but his extensive background as an assistant coach would pay off for NC State and help with the development of the quarterback position, which has been lacking with CJ Bailey this season.
Dowell Loggains, Appalachian State coach
Loggains, 46, will see a bump with his work at a resurgent Appalachian State this season. Loggains was a longtime NFL assistant from 2008-20 before stints as an offensive coach with Arkansas and South Carolina, where he was the offensive coordinator for two seasons. Loggains has the Mountaineers off to a 5-2 start this season, which continued with an upset of James Madison in Week 8. He's a fit at NC State, and this would not be a surprise hire.
Billy Napier, James Madison coach
Napier, 47, has rebooted his career at James Madison, and the question is whether a move back to the Power 4 is warranted after one year. Napier is 69-35 through stints with Louisiana, Florida and James Madison, and he has experience in the ACC dating back to his time as an assistant coach at Clemson from 2006-10. It's not an exciting hire, but Napier could be in the mix.
Glenn Schumann, Georgia defensive coordinator
Schumann, 36, will be a frequently named coach for Power 4 openings this offseason. Would a first head coaching job in the ACC make sense? Schumann has been an assistant at Alabama from 2008-14 and Georgia since 2016, so his pedigree is more of an SEC fit. Still, he's young, and the Bulldogs have allowed 20.6 points per game or fewer in each of the last three seasons.
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Philip Rivers, former NC State quarterback
Rivers, 44, is going to be a fan favorite in this coaching search. He's a NC State icon dating back to his time as a quarterback in 2000-03. He's 49-19 at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Ala. Rivers' son Gunnar – a four-star QB in the class of 2027 – is committed to NC State. Rivers would not be the first coach to make the jump from high school. This move would receive a lot of hype. Will NC State entertain it?
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