NC State coach Dave Doeren to return for 14th season

NC State coach Dave Doeren will return for his 14th season at the helm of the Wolfpack, TheWolfpacker.com confirmed. The Associated Press was first to report Sunday afternoon.

“Dave has built a program that is centered on culture and player development — on and off the field,” NC State AD Boo Corrigan said in a statement sent to The Associated Press. “You can see his passion for this program and the student-athletes in how hard our team plays and competes. I look forward to continuing to find new ways to support him and the football program.”

Doeren holds a 94-70 overall record in his 13 seasons with the Wolfpack as the program’s winningest coach, including seven campaigns with eight or more wins and 11 bowl appearances. He guided NC State to a 3-1 record in November, including a win over then-No. 8 Georgia Tech with a pair of regular-season closing victories over Florida State and North Carolina at Carter-Finley Stadium as the Pack finished with a 7-5 record.

The 53-year-old coach had been persistent in wanting to return for the 2026 season, despite the fan base growing impatient losing four of five games after a 3-0 start. He had no desire to retire after this season, a rumor that floated around early in the year, which he squashed in a October press conference.

“I want this place to be as good as it can be,” Doeren said earlier this season. “I’ve done a lot, we’ve done a lot here to make this a stable, successful, competitive program. I love these kids, man. … I’m having fun. I know losing sucks and it hurts. I’m pissed as hell on Sunday and Monday, but I’m having fun going to practice with this football team.”

Doeren navigated a tough 2025 season, which featured _ starters missing at least one game due to injury, but was able to help keep the Wolfpack fighting to win games on the field. The Pack never folded, which allowed the team to earn three wins in its last four weeks to guarantee a winning record under Doeren for the 10th time in his tenure at NC State.

The veteran coach touted his team’s culture after the win over UNC on Saturday night, putting a bow on the regular season campaign with the victory against six-time Super Bowl championship-winning coach Bill Belichick.

“The guys hung in there and stuck together,” Doeren said. “Kids got better and better on defense, I’m proud of them for that because that’s where most of our injuries have been. It says a lot about the grit, the resiliency, their belief in their coaches and me. Our culture is really strong, and it was tested this year. And it stood up to the test.”

Doeren is currently under contract through the 2029 season. His assistant coaches are all under contract with the Wolfpack through next fall.