NC State’s Dave Doeren denies retirement rumors. Why he vows to keep coaching
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Doeren denies retirement rumors and stresses he has four years on contract
- Signed 2024 extension through 2029 worth $34.8M; university faces $12.5M buyout
- Doeren notes positive team culture and frames focus on beating No. 8 Georgia Tech.
N.C. State head football coach Dave Doeren denied on Thursday any rumors of retirement after chatter around the program indicated his time with the Wolfpack would end at the conclusion of the season.
Doeren said during a regularly scheduled meeting with the media that he does not plan to retire in the near future.
“I think about winning games, trying to find ways to get better, trying to help this football team, trying to help this university, trying to help my coaches, trying to be a good dad, trying to not get my wife mad at me — that’s what I think about,” Doeren said. “Do I have plans down the road someday to retire? Sure, but I don’t have plans to do that (now). I’m going to keep coaching. I’ve got four years left on my contract.”
It was also reported he considered retiring last year. Doeren signed a new contract in 2024 worth a combined $34.8 million that extends to 2029. The university would owe a $12.5 million buyout for the remainder of the contract if N.C. State fires Doeren at the end of this season.
“I want this place to be as good as it can be. That’s what I want,” Doeren said Thursday. “ I’ve done a lot. We’ve done a lot here to make this a stable, successful, competitive program.”
Dave Doeren does not like to lose
In his 13th season, Doeren said he loves working with the team. The coachability and brotherhood the 2025 group possesses has been a consistent message all season. It’s made mistakes, committed penalties and suffered injuries, but this team possesses the intangibles required to have success.
Last year, it wasn’t like that.
A year ago, on Oct. 30, 2024, N.C. State was 2-4 in the ACC. That Wolfpack team had won one more ACC game at this point in the season than this year’s team, which is 1-3 in the conference. But the 2024 team didn’t have a culture of support and selflessness. Some players “were pouting and complaining” about their usage, Doeren said Wednesday during his radio show.
“I hated coaching that team last year,” Doeren said. “There was so much selfish stuff on that sideline. We don’t have that on this team. We’ve got a bunch of guys that actually really care about each other.”
Doeren reiterated on Thursday he still doesn’t like losing and is “pissed as hell” on Sunday and Monday after losses but enjoys getting to practice on Tuesday to try and win the next game.
“No different than Boo (Corrigan) or any other person that is in charge of something, at the end every year, you look at it, like, ‘Man, that was really hard,’ or, ‘I really enjoyed that, but what can we do better?’” Doeren said. “I’m gonna worry about it at the end of the season, and what can I do better than I did last year?
“Sometimes you’ve got to step away from it and give yourself a little breath, not make emotional decisions, but right now, it ain’t about that. It’s about trying to beat a really good Georgia Tech football team.”
Talk of Dave Doeren’s job security at NC State
There has been a lot of talk of Doeren’s job security this week. During a press conference on Monday, Doeren said he is focused on the team and his family, not the coaching carousel or conversations among university leaders. Worrying about things outside of his control is not conducive to success.
Doeren will, at the very least, coach through the end of the season. N.C. State Athletic Director Boo Corrigan on Wednesday told members of the Raleigh Sports Club he does not believe in firing coaches midseason, sharing the nuanced approach he takes when evaluating coaches and big decisions.
And for Doeren, he’s focused on fighting — another word used a lot lately — alongside his staff and players. Anything can happen, and there’s no quit in the Wolfpack.
N.C. State hosts the No. 8 ranked Yellow Jackets at 7:30 p.m. Saturday for homecoming. Georgia Tech is 8-0 for the first time in 59 years and 5-0 in the ACC for the first time in program history.
“If you’re upset at a football game, you need to really look in the mirror,” Doeren said. “Go in there and have some fun. Cheer for your football team, cheer for your alma mater. These kids are fighting. Some of them are strapped up, duct taped together, and they are fighting their butts off. They need every ounce of crowd noise they can get to help them.”
This story was originally published October 30, 2025 at 3:16 PM with the headline "NC State’s Dave Doeren denies retirement rumors. Why he vows to keep coaching."
