Dave Doeren

Dave Doeren is a college football head coach who has led North Carolina State University to a position of consistency within the Atlantic Coast Conference. Doeren has served as the head football coach at North Carolina State University since the 2013 season, compiling a record that makes him the program's all-time winningest coach and establishing one of the longest active tenures in the ACC. Under Doeren, Wolfpack Football has become known for its disciplined, hard-working players, resulting in 95 victories, the highest total in school history.

Doeren's coaching career began after playing as a tight end at Drake University, where he lettered for four years and earned Academic All-America honors as a senior. Before his head coaching roles, Doeren spent five seasons in the Big Ten at Wisconsin as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. During his tenure in Madison, the Badgers posted a 49-15 record and appeared in the Champs Sports Bowl, Outback Bowl, Capital One Bowl, and Rose Bowl. Prior to Wisconsin, Doeren coached the secondary at Montana, where the Grizzlies advanced to the national championship game and won the national title the following season, posting a 28-3 record and securing two Big Sky Conference championships.

Doeren previously served as head coach at Northern Illinois, leading the Huskies to consecutive MAC Championships and a Bowl Championship Series appearance in the Orange Bowl. He guided the Huskies to a MAC Championship and a win in the GoDaddy.com Bowl in his first year, followed by a second consecutive MAC Championship and the program's first BCS bowl appearance. This success led to his appointment at NC State, where he has maintained a streak of four straight seasons with eight or more wins—an achievement matched by only a few other power conference programs during that span.

Doeren's influence at NC State extends beyond on-field performance. His focus on player development, academic achievement, and program stability has resulted in ten bowl appearances, including a Gator Bowl victory, while maintaining a 98.7 Academic Progress Rate and a record-high Graduation Success Rate. Doeren has appeared on the midseason watch list for the Dodd Trophy, which recognizes major college football coaches for leadership on and off the field, and has been named to the Paul Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Award watch list.

Off the field, Doeren and his wife pledged $1.25 million to NC State to support students with autism and other disorders through the OnePack Empowered program, inspired by their son Jacob's experience navigating academic challenges.

Doeren shares insights on building a successful football program, emphasizing leadership, team culture, and community engagement. In a landscape marked by change, NC State Football is recognized for its stability and culture. Doeren's journey from a pre-med student at Drake to the winningest coach in NC State history highlights his commitment to adaptability, player development, and program excellence in college football.