NC State Director of Athletics Debbie Yow Q&A, part I
The 2017-18 athletics year at NC State will go down as one of its greatest ever. In a ranking compiled by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, NC State was second overall as well as second in men's sports and women's sports among fellow ACC teams in conference competition this year.
The Wolfpack won the league titles in women's cross country, men's swimming and diving and gymnastics. It reached the postseason in all but softball and rifle, highlight by fourth places finishes at nationals from wrestling and men's swimming and diving.
NC State currently sits seventh in the standings of the Learfield Directors' Cup and top among ACC programs, despite operating on a budget that is significantly lower than many of its rivals.
NC State Director of Athletics Debbie Yow met last Friday to discuss the year that was in Wolfpack athletes. Here is part I of highlights from that extensive sit down.
In all likelihood this is going to be the best-ever finish in the Director’s Cup for NC State. What are your thoughts about that?
“The Directors' Cup started in 1993-94. We have about 25 years worth of data, and yes it’s our best finish ever. I’m proud of our coaches, our student-athletes and what they’ve achieved.”
How would you view the year on the field overall for NC State athletics?
“I think the facts speak for themselves, and the fact that the Atlanta Journal-Constitution saw that as well in terms of their system of rankings. It’s very balanced across the board for men and for women, and we are making progress in almost every sport. Not every single one, but almost every one.”
Have you seen others noticing the progress of NC State athletics?
“I have. Actually, there is a gentleman who is a very good booster from the western part of the state. About eight years ago we were talking, and he said, ‘I just want you to know, the only thing I really care about is what we do in football and men’s basketball.’
“I said, ‘Thanks for telling me, but you and I don’t agree on that. We are trying to develop a culture of excellence. You can’t do that if only two teams out of 23 are doing really well. It doesn’t feel like a culture of excellence.
“'We are around each other all the time and feed off each other’s enthusiasm, energy and achievements. We are going about this differently, and all ships are going to get raised.’
“Fast-forward eight years, and about a month ago around 10:30 at night I received an email from him. We had just won the two cheerleading national championships.
“His question was, ‘Do we get Director’s Cup points for cheerleading winning?’ I said, ‘No we don’t because they are a support group, but I can’t tell you how proud I am that you even noticed.’
“He’s into the Directors' Cup now. He understands when you get into the stratosphere where you are getting compared to Michigan, Stanford or Cal, that’s a good place to be for your brand.”
Five years ago you could go to a wrestling match, and it was not a big event. Now it’s different. Do you see that in other sports as well?
“It’s an incredible environment since we’ve renovated Reynolds and since Coach [Pat] Popolizio came on board. He and coaches like Braden Holloway for swimming, Kim Landrus for gymnastics, Wes Moore for women’s basketball — the list goes on of coaches who were the right fit for us and are doing great things and overachieving at this point.”
What stood out the most to you about Kevin Keatts and his men’s basketball program in year one?
“When we started the conference season 0-2 and beaten badly in both games, for him to come back from that and beat five top 25 teams is a reflection of his leadership and what we can anticipate in the future.”
Only three players are coming back, and there are 10 newcomers on his team next year. What are expectations for next season?
“The first place I would share expectations for men’s basketball would be with Coach Keatts, but he is pretty aggressive in his expectations. I know he’s told me that he wants to play even faster, and he wants to have the players on his team to be interchangeable at least more than one position, and that he wants us to be able to put in a new five and not be able to tell a difference. He wants to press.
“That’s the kind of basketball that players want to play and fans want to watch.”
An NCAA report showed that over 13 percent of men’s basketball player transfer at the end of each year, and the same report also showed that 40 percent of players that sign with a four-year school will have departed that institution by the end of their sophomore year. Is this a irreversible reality in men’s basketball or can steps be taken to reverse it?
“I think it is the reality, and I don’t think you will see people even attempting to take steps to reverse it unless it’s at the graduate level.
“There is a national dialogue right now on what requirement should be met if you are a graduate transfer. Depending on which direction they go that might curtail that number, but the number of undergraduates that transfer I anticipate to remain either at the same or greater number.”
There’s the ongoing FBI investigation that has involved NC State. What can you share about that and do you have any anticipation about what might happen down the road with the NCAA?
“I don’t have any new information on the FBI investigation. Insofar as the NCAA, we will always partner with them in the right way for all the right reasons, and defend ourselves and our program and our integrity.
“We spent eight years talking about what we call ERA — it’s our mantra. ‘E’ stands for establish the culture. The ‘R’ stands for reinforce the culture. The ‘A’ stands for act with integrity when the culture is threatened.
“All of coaches and all of our staff understand that, and compliance-related issues get talked about at every head coaches’ meeting and every administrative meeting. It’s an ongoing dialogue.
“We will be sharing all that information when the time is right.”
In football, a lot of people may say last year was a breakout season of sorts for Dave Doeren’s program. How did you feel about it?
“I don’t think you can argue the fact that going 6-2 in the league for the first time in 24 years is special. I know from talking to him that he would’ve liked it to have been even better. I also know that the draft, having seven picks and being second only to Alabama, has had a very positive impact on recruiting. I expect us to continue to recruit well and even better.
“Our schedule continues to get more and more challenging. We are in one of the toughest divisions in all of college football, and certainly the tougher of the two in the ACC since we formed divisions. That and now that we are going to be playing another Power Five school every year — it’s just going to get more challenging. It’s the kind of schedule that great players want to play.”
Where does Bradley Chubb’s decision to come back to school and then get selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the NFL Draft rank among the success stories you’ve seen as an athletic director?
“It really is a tribute to Bradley and his family and their thoughtful consideration of what this might be. It also became a possibility because we were willing to pay for the insurance policy that would help make it possible for him to return.
“Coach Doeren was important in the entire conversation. It was a very smart decision.”
What kind of impact does having a guy like Ryan Finley coming back at the most visible position on the field — quarterback — have from the viewpoint of the athletic department in promoting the football team?
“There’s no question that having Ryan back for another season is a plus in terms of ticket sales and name recognition. Our fans really gravitate towards him and respect him. It increases the level of excitement for the coming season, especially with the receiver corps that we have coming back.”
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