NC State is expected to hire ESPN TV analyst and former Alabama coach Mark Gottfried at a 5 p.m. press conference today.

Gottfried previously coached at Murray State and Alabama, which is his alma mater, and compiled a 278-155 record and seven trips to the NCAA Tournament and four to the NIT Tournament. He reached the Elite Eight at Alabama in 2003-2004, and had the Crimson Tide ranked No. 1 in The Associated Press poll at one point in his career - Dec. 23, 2003.

Gottfried, who resigned from Alabama on Jan. 26, 2009, for personal and family reasons, has been working as an ESPN college basketball analyst this past year.

Yow has known Gottfried and his family for 27 years and one source said, "She respects all that they have achieved over the years and he was the dark horse on her A list."

Gottfried has already lined up some well-known recruiters in the South and the Eastern seaboard for his assistant coaches, which will be announced at the press conference.

Gottfried landed several top 110 players such as Gerald Wallace (2000), Maurice Williams (2001), Kennedy Winston (2002), Jermareo Davidson (2003), Akini Adkins (2003), Shawn Taylor (2003), Ronald Steele (2004), Albert Weber (2004), Glenn Miles (2004), Richard Hendrix (2005), Alonzo Gee (2005), Senario Hillman (2007), Rico Pickett (2007), Jamychal Green (2008) and Andrew Steele (2008).

Gottfried was born in Crestline, Ohio, but ended up playing high school basketball at Carterville (Ill.) High, then Carbondale (Ill.) High and his senior year at Mobile (Ala.) UMS-Wright Preparatory School. He attended Oral Roberts for one season before transferring to Alabama, where he played under Wimp Sanderson, before graduating in 1987.

Gottfried served as an assistant coach at UCLA under Jim Harrick from 1987-1995, helping the Bruins win the 1995 NCAA Championship with future NBA players Ed O'Bannon, Toby Bailey and Tyus Edney.

Gottfried left for Murray State, where his family has ties too, and went 68-24 in three years. Gottfried's uncle, Mike Gottfried, coached football at Murray State, Cincinnati, Kansas and Pittsburgh, and also is an analyst for ESPN.

Murray State reached the NCAA Tournament his last two years, and went 29-4 in his last season in 1997-1998.

Gottfried was hired at Alabama the following season march 25, 1998, and eventually reached the 2002 Elite Eight after back-to-back wins over Stanford and Syracuse. The Crimson Tide lost to eventual national champion UConn.