For most of Dave Doeren now 13-year tenure at NC State, the program has lived in a New York City apartment -- the floor has been very close to the ceiling. After taking the job in 2013, NC State won between seven and nine games all but one season from 2014 to 2023, but never more than nine. Those 9-win seasons each came with AP Top 25 finishes, all between No. 20 and No. 23. The Wolfpack have finished a game out of playing in the ACC Championship, but never made the 3-hour drive from Raleigh to Charlotte.
We've all seen plenty of cases where that metronomic success has led one side or the other of a coach/school relationship to blow the thing up, for better or worse. Georgia famously moved on from Mark Richt to Kirby Smart and upgraded. Minnesota fired Glen Mason after six bowl trips in seven years and went to two bowl games in their next five seasons.
If Albert Einstein's definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, well, Doeren has not gone insane yet.
"I'm having a blast," Doeren told ESPN's Inside ACCess podcast. "I really am enjoying myself. I have four years left on my contract, I fully expect to coach in. So unless they kick me out of here, I'm going to keep coming to work and doing everything I can to help NC State. There's meat on the bone for me, personally. We've won a lot of conference games; I would love to hold up that trophy some day for this university, so I'm going to keep working toward that goal."
At 87-65, Doeren, 53, is the winningest coach in NC State history; he's also the second-longest tenured, trailing only Earle Edwards, who lasted 17 seasons with a 77-88-8 record. Doeren's winning percentage of .572 is right in line with the program's historic average -- the eight coaches NC State employed from Lou Holtz in 1972 to Tom O'Brien in 2012 went a collective .557. Doeren doesn't have an ACC championship, but neither did the six Pack leaders before him.
Doeren describes an athletics department that's as content with him as he is at NC State. The current Wolfpack outfit is 5-4 and 2-3 in ACC play, best by defensive struggles due to losing nine starters at different points in the season. NC State allowed 36 and 53 in losses to Notre Dame and Pitt last month, but scored a 48-36 win over previously undefeated Georgia Tech on Saturday. One more win sends NC State to its 11th bowl game in 12 seasons.
"Resources have to meet expectations and I think (AD) Boo Corrigan does everything he can," he said. "I'm definitely in alignment with him. I know he works his tail off to give us everything he can... We're still playing with some young guys. You lose nine starters on defense throughout the year, there's going to be some growing pains. It's just a matter of having a little bit more luck on the injury side, to be honest, when it comes to what you see week in, week out."
Doeren has felt the restlessness around him, but pays it no mind.
"Ruffin McNeil, who's on my staff, says it best. When you lose, people think you can't read a book and when you win, they want you to write one. I'm from the outhouse to the penthouse in one week. I understand the business, I don't worry about it. I'm worried about these players and this staff and doing everything I can to help them."