CHAPEL HILL -- CHAPEL HILL -- At an intimate gathering of about 70 Wolfpack Club supporters Monday night, coach Tom O'Brien explained how he hopes to improve N.C. State's football results in 2010.
O'Brien enters his fourth season at N.C. State with a 16-21 record that includes just one bowl trip, in 2008. The Wolfpack finished 5-7 last season.
"Certainly we haven't done as well as we'd like the past few years, but we're making progress," O'Brien said at American Legion Post 6 during the first meeting of the Wolfpack Club's spring coaches' caravan.
The caravan will make 23 stops, and O'Brien will split the speaking duties with basketball coach Sidney Lowe. The meetings are an opportunity for the coaches to meet supporters and describe how they are running their programs.
O'Brien's immediate plan for success involves improving N.C. State's kickoffs, giveaways and takeaways. He signed strong-legged former Boston College kicker Billy Bennett and plans to use him exclusively on kickoffs this season.
Last season, O'Brien said, the struggling Wolfpack defense's problems were compounded by poor kickoffs that gave opponents excellent field position. The team finished last in the ACC in kickoff coverage at 37.3 yards per kick.
N.C. State also finished last in the ACC in turnover margin at minus-11.
"That's something that can be coached," he said. "That's something that can be corrected."
In other news:
O'Brien sounded optimistic that quarterback Russell Wilson will return to the football team in the fall instead of turning pro in baseball over the summer. Wilson talks weekly to offensive coordinator Dana Bible about plans for next season. "If Russell doesn't come back, that would be very surprising," O'Brien said.
Bible, who is undergoing chemotherapy treatment for leukemia, has set a mid-June target date for a return to full-time duty with the team. Bible has participated in some spring practice work, but O'Brien sent him away Thursday during the most recent practice session because it was raining and Bible's immune system is down.
Linebacker Nate Irving, who missed 2009 after being severely injured in a car wreck, has been enthusiastic and displayed leadership in his return to spring practice. But he still needs to regain his strength.
"He's remarkably running around like nothing's happened," O'Brien said. "He isn't as explosive and he's not as strong, because he hasn't trained."
