Among Wolfpack, a sense of acceptance

Fans would have liked a higher-profile coach, but they and the players look forward to forgetting the past and seeing what Tom O'Brien can do

RALEIGH -- The news that N.C. State plans to hire Boston College's Tom O'Brien to be its football coach didn't cause a big stir Thursday.

The Wolfpack's football players were mostly silent as they arrived Thursday afternoon for a meeting at the Murphy Football Center. O'Brien's hiring is expected to be approved today in a conference call by the NCSU board of trustees' personnel committee, and an introductory news conference may be held Saturday.

"I think it's good they got a guy from the ACC," senior offensive lineman Leroy Harris said, noting that the coach will be familiar with the league and its personnel. "I also think it's good they got one fast so the team can bond to the new coaches."

The Wolfpack won just three games this season, but one was a 17-15 victory over Boston College at Carter-Finley Stadium. Despite State's 3-9 finish, Harris says he believes there can be a quick turnaround under the new coach.

"He's inheriting enough talent. We've got the talent to be an ACC competitor next year," Harris said. "He's going to have some spots to fill. ... Depth is going to be an issue.

"We've got some positions they need to recruit real hard. Getting down here as fast as possible and getting on the phone with the recruits already committed [is important]."

On campus, O'Brien was getting the benefit of the doubt from many State students who had tired of former coach Chuck Amato. At the same time, many said O'Brien isn't the spectacular hire they wanted.

"I mean, we beat [Boston College] this year, so he can't be that good," NCSU student Hunter Bulk of Cary said. "I think it was time for Chuck Amato to leave. I think [O'Brien] will be at least on par with Chuck Amato. I know that's not saying much, but I think he'll bring some better recruits in and, hopefully, do a better job than Chuck Amato."

Many of the students' reactions seemed fueled more by the frustrations created by an underperforming program than by O'Brien, who had a 75-45 record in 10 seasons at Boston College.

Students said O'Brien's hiring doesn't have the glitz of North Carolina's hiring of Butch Davis to replace John Bunting.

State senior Beruk Admassu said NCSU could have done better by hiring someone with a higher profile.

"If we could have gotten someone at that caliber, that would have made a big difference," said Admassu, who is from Asheville. "I don't know what's going on with how they're coming up with the guys they're coming up with. Maybe a lot of guys don't want to come here because of our performance in the past. But still, Carolina is coming up with these guys."

Junior Brad LaCroix, who grew up in the Boston area, said he thought O'Brien was a good choice.

"I like how he handles the program. I think sometimes [State's] biggest problem has been a lack of discipline. He seems to be good at handling stuff like that," said LaCroix, who was decked out in New England Patriots attire.

He said Davis' higher profile doesn't really matter.

"Sexiness really doesn't matter to me," LaCroix said. "It's more, What you do on the field? Can you produce? It doesn't matter how big of a name you are. It's if you can do the job."

(Staff writer A.J. Carr contributed to this report.)