Boo Corrigan talks about Dave Doeren extension, Carter-Finley enhancement

Published May 7, 2021

Matt Carter • TheWolfpackCentral

Editor

During an interview with GoPack.com’s Jeff Gravley, NC State director of athletics Boo Corrigan expounded on some of the most recent developments for the Wolfpack, including a contract extension through 2025 for football head coach Dave Doeren.

Doeren is coming off an 8-4 season in 2020, which included a school-record seven ACC wins (7-3 league mark). He was second, by one vote, to Notre Dame's Brian Kelly for ACC Coach of the Year honors.

During eight years at NC State, Doeren is 55-46, and has recorded the second-most wins in program history. His teams have posted winning records in six of the eight seasons, including winning at least eight contests four times.

NC State has been ranked for multiple weeks in three of the last four years, and it has gone 3-3 in bowl games under Doeren.

Corrigan noted he believes that Doeren is the right fit for the Wolfpack program.

“He’s built a great staff, and I think he’s been energized by what’s going on, whether that is through #PackUnited, whether it’s more time with the team off the field, getting to know everyone better," Corrigan noted.

“Being the leader that he is, being a hand-in-the-dirt kind of guy taking pride in what that is, re-energizing of recruiting, everything about it, he’s done an unbelievable job in a difficult situation. So how great a job will he do when it’s not a difficult situation, where we are moving forward?

"I am so excited about where we are.”

Carter-Finley Stadium will also have a bit of a new look. Already, 29,000 season tickets have been sold for the 2021 schedule, and they could be greeted by a $700,000 enhancement project that has been approved by Centennial Authority as part of NC State’s share of PNC Arena’s naming rights agreement.

The improvements will include:

• Converting some parking in the northeast corner of the stadium into a concessions area with food trucks, barbecue and beer. The cost is estimated at $225,000

• Using $475,000 to remove the metal bleachers in the north end zone and convert it into a premium seating section with carpeting, tents and tables.

“What we are looking at is on the East side of the stands,” Corrigan explained. “It can be a little bit tight. That’s the nicest way of saying that. … So what can we do to expand that area? What can we do to create additional concession opportunities and restaurant opportunities?

“In the north end zone itself kind of changing the look and feel of who we are and what we are.”

Overall, Corrigan reiterated how well NC State has survived, thus far, the COVID-19 pandemic. Original budget shortfall projections were $22.8 million, and it is now down to about $2.9 million via a combination of budget cuts, payroll reductions and fundraising.

“It really is, and I mean this whole-heartedly, this is a collective effort,” Corrigan explained. “This isn’t anything that one person did.”

Academically, student-athletes are setting new records for grade-point averages, and a group of them spearheaded an effort to successfully launch #PackUnited, a social justice movement.

Corrigan sees the organization carrying forward for years to come.

“PackUnited is going to be with us, and it will continue to morph, and it will continue to grow as we are looking at the whole thing,” Corrigan said. “Awareness, education and action, that’s going to work in 2027, and it would have worked in 2020, 2019 and 2018.”

Corrigan also took pride that it was initiated on the Pack’s campus.

“We are going to do it in a NC State way,” he said. “… It’s an officially recognized group on campus, which is something that hasn’t occurred before.”

Then there has been the success in competition. Women’s cross country and women’s swimming and diving finished second at the NCAA Championships in their respective sports, while wrestling came in sixth and men’s swimming and diving in eighth. The women’s basketball team won a second-straight ACC title and reached the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive time.

“In a time where this could have been very divisive, I truly believe it has grown us together,” Corrigan stated.