NC State football coach Dave Doeren taking methodical approach, names interim play caller
Dave Doeren is not panicking about the defensive coordinator-sized hole on his staff. He’s been here before.
The N.C. State head coach said on Sunday that his phone has been buzzing with people contacting him about the opening, now that Tony Gibson has been named the new head coach at Marshall University.
Between the incoming freshman class and returning players, Doeren said there’s a lot of interest. Caden Fordham, Sean Brown, Devon Betty and Bradon Cisse are some of the confirmed returners.
Doeren does not feel the need to rush things, though. He wants to be methodical in his search and find someone who can help the team evolve without completely straying from its roots.
“It’ll go as fast as it can go. I never look at an opening as something that I have to rush because of what’s going on on the outside,” Doeren said. “It’s more about what I need for this program.
“As soon as I’m ready, we’ll have a guy in there. I owe it to N.C. State and every player in that locker room to look at everything and make the best choices, not just for them as players, but for the culture of the team.”
Doeren is no stranger to replacing assistants who earn head coaching jobs at other programs. Tim Beck was hired at Coastal Carolina in 2022 after three seasons as the N.C. State offensive coordinator.
Eli Drinkwitz served as the offensive coordinator from 2016-18. He was the head coach one season at Appalachian State before being selected to lead the Missouri Tigers.
“There’s a lot of guys that have worked for me that are now running their own programs, and I take a lot of pride in that,” Doeren said. “Any time a coach leaves, I look at that vacancy as an opportunity to improve and take our time making decisions on what we’re going to do.”
Doeren likened Gibson’s departure to a player’s graduation. When an older player leaves, there are younger players who aim to make their own mark. He plans to find someone who can do that for the Wolfpack’s defense.
“I owe it to these players to give them the best coach I can get, and that’s what I’m going to do,” he said.
Wolfpack alumnus to lead defense for bowl game
Until the team settles on a new defensive coordinator, Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay will serve as the interim coordinator and defensive play caller for the Wolfpack’s bowl game.
Aughtry-Lindsay is one of the younger assistant coaches on Doeren’s staff. He played linebacker for the Wolfpack from 2001-04 and completed his bachelor’s degree two years later.
The 42-year-old is in his second stint with the Wolfpack staff, first serving as a recruiting assistant and defensive graduate assistant in 2008-10. He returned to Raleigh as the nickelbacks coach in 2020 after bouncing around at different programs including Elon, Campbell, NC Central and Ole Miss.
Doeren said Aughtry-Lindsay has earned the opportunity to lead the N.C. State defense as it closes the year, noting Aughtry-Lindsay’s desire to continue his coaching climb.
“When they have goals to move up, those are things that I try to help them with,” Doeren said. “He’s had opportunities to leave here for mid-major D-coordinator jobs, and he wanted to learn, he wanted to stay, he wanted to grow. This is a great opportunity for him to show what he can do and to lead our guys. I know our guys trust him. They respect him, so it’ll be fun to watch him.”
Doeren recalled the 2015 Belk Bowl when he coached primarily with graduate assistants. This will be much easier. Aughtry-Lindsay is qualified and will have the rest of the N.C. State defensive staff assisting him during preparations and in the game itself.
The Wolfpack earned a spot in the 2024 Military Bowl. It will face East Carolina on Dec. 28 in Annapolis, Maryland.
