Debbie speaks

Dear Wolfpack Family,

I am writing to share with you the status of the search for our new head coach for men’s basketball. There have been telephone conversations with successful coaches that did not develop into meetings — sometimes because we did not wish to pursue those coaches further and sometimes because the coach involved is happy where he is.

The conversations have been candid. We have not tried to sugarcoat the challenge of rebuilding our basketball program. Our absence for 5 consecutive years from the NCAA Tournament was noted by each coach as evidence that the program is in poor shape and will require a special effort to rebuild.

Finding a coach with the fight and fire to do this job has been a challenge. That said, we will find an excellent college coach who shares the vision of what State Basketball can become and is up for the challenge.

I realize there are multiple rumors surfacing about the nature of the search on websites and in newspapers. Once our new coach is hired, I will be in a position to bring perspective to a number of those rumors. But, right now, we need to remain focused on finding a talented collegiate coach who is a fighter, full of confidence and appreciation for the opportunity to lead our basketball program back to national prominence.

That will happen in spite of those who believe this cannot occur.

Wolfpack Basketball is destined for a revival. We will accept no less. Please keep the faith while we continue the search. Your emails and text messages of support have meant everything to me. I am blessed to be your AD.

In the Spirit of the Pack,
Debbie

About BAM

I grew up on Jones Franklin Rd with a Wolfpack banner hanging over my bed. UNCW class of 2001.

Debbie Yow

210 Responses to Debbie speaks

  1. MrPlywood 04/05/2011 at 2:40 AM #

    She may not have had the upper hand going into this, but now she has no hand.

  2. aubd 04/05/2011 at 2:47 AM #

    If a new basketball coach can mean this much to you reevaluate your life…it’s supposed to be about STUDENT ATHLETES!! Although student doesn’t mean much if any anymore, ask yourself if maybe there isn’t another place I could focus my interest or $ to make a difference. Enough self indulgence, make a difference or let be……

  3. Wufpacker 04/05/2011 at 2:55 AM #

    ” Otherwise, You has really screwed up…”

    HEY!!! Don’t blame me! I didn’t send the dang letter! (sorry, but someone else would have if I didn’t).

    BJD, I’m still pretty optimistic as well, which is actually not very normal for me these days. But I’m honestly not optimistic for a “big hire” necessarily (assuming we’re defining “big hire” similarly), but rather that when the dust settles the coach hired will be a good fit and we can then begin the process of climbing back up the mountain.

    That being said, I am very interested in hearing your reasoning at to why you still feel optimistic about a “big hire” (feel free to PM me if you don’t wish to send this thread off on a tangent by saying something that might be misconstrued or taken as “the gospel”).

  4. Wufpacker 04/05/2011 at 3:06 AM #

    Just wanted to let everyone know that it’s already “out there”.

    http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/04/05/2198276/search-for-new-coach-goes-on.html

    ” RALEIGH With her list of potential candidates reduced by three, N.C. State athletics director Debbie Yow reached out to Wolfpack fans Monday night. ”

    (snip)

    ” In her email, Yow acknowledged the mounting rumors about the search and wrote: “But, right now, we need to remain focused on finding a talented collegiate coach who is a fighter, full of confidence and appreciation for the opportunity to lead our basketball program back to national prominence.” ”

    —-

    It could have been worse (they could have quoted some of the post-letter meltdown). But then again, this is from Giglio. I’m guessing it will be worse when others get a hold of it.

  5. c c harrison 04/05/2011 at 3:54 AM #

    ^That disturber article is even worse than the letter itself…

  6. Hamlet 04/05/2011 at 4:07 AM #

    Our worst nightmare is coming true.

    I had this feeling that never left me during this search. Yow, as confident as she is, seems to have an abrasive personality and might actually suffer from over-confidence. There is only one way to make a hire in this case. You have a Plan A, Plan B, and you better be sure that you don’t get past Plan C. In reality, you go all out on Plan A and make it happen…period.

    The top coach on the list should have been a man that we knew would take the job if offered ‘X’ amount of dollars. This is done in several ways, not least of which is not taking ‘no’ for an answer. The information I received about Rick Barnes and Sean Niller still bugs me…even though I foolishly held out hope.

    Go after the number one realistic candidate and get it done. PERIOD. No excuses. I’m disgusted.

  7. 61Packer 04/05/2011 at 5:02 AM #

    I’ve maintained for a long time that the problem at NCSU isn’t just in the AD department. The NCSU administrators should’ve known that hiring a female AD with a reputation of being hard to get along with would be a possible deterrant to getting an A List coach, but they did it anyway.

    And after saying she’d go for the experienced, established coach, she instead goes after a rock star, who backed out when he realized that eventually he’d be on a bigger stage than the one here.

    Marshall may have been interested, but I wouldn’t want to be second banana either.

    I can hear the chuckles coming from Lake Gaston already.

    How about Bob Knight? Bob Cremins? Bob McKillop? Bob Etheridge? Oh wait, he already has a job!

  8. Wufpacker 04/05/2011 at 5:06 AM #

    ” ^That disturber article is even worse than the letter itself… ”

    Aside from not refuting all of the “reports” of the various coaches turning us down, and considering “the letter” in general, I’m not sure how the article could have been much better, actually.

    If you want to see bad, wait until the less mainstream media starts tweeting and blogging about it later (not to mention the less NCSU-friendly media….Giglio is one of the more NCSU-friendlies out there). I can assure you that some of the more colorful reactions here and elsewhere will soon begin to show up in those.

  9. GoldenChain 04/05/2011 at 5:27 AM #

    I have a question; as a 31 year member of the WPC why didn’t I get this email?

    “Yow sent an email out to Wolfpack Club members on Monday night”

    Read more: http://aboverim.blogspot.com/2011/04/yow-updates-wolfpack-club-on-coaching.html#ixzz1IdmEm3VI

  10. hoop 04/05/2011 at 5:35 AM #

    Someone on Pack Pride said they were not a wpc member and did get the email.

    Makes me wonder if it’s real.

    But if it’s not real then it would have been refuted by now.

  11. Wufpacker 04/05/2011 at 5:39 AM #

    It wasn’t just to WPC members. I think it must be a mailing list for wolfpack unlimited or something that anyone can sign up for on gopack.com.

  12. GoldenChain 04/05/2011 at 5:48 AM #

    So Wuf, you sayin’ Giglio Down By The School yard is an incorrect reporter? He reports it was to WPC members. I’m a WPC member, I didn’t get it.
    If you can sign up at GOPACK and get it then why isn’t it actually posted at GOPACK.

    At this stage I won’t believe anyone else that says “they” got it because there’s so much BS being posted here and on the forum I’m convinced some folks will say anything.

  13. Wufpacker 04/05/2011 at 5:52 AM #

    If you PM me your email I’ll forward it to you GC. As far as why it’s not up on gopack I couldn’t say.

    And yes…Giglio got bad info on this one at least.

    Seriously…PM me on the forums with your email and I’ll forward it to you if you want.

  14. highstick 04/05/2011 at 6:04 AM #

    I got it from the WPC and it bothered me so badly that I forgot to watch the second half of the game.

    I hope this is some sort of subterfuge of some sort. Granted the “nuts were going nuts” wanting a hire, but none of this makes any sense. I wonder if Annabelle wrote it?

  15. Wufpacker 04/05/2011 at 6:11 AM #

    ^ lol ‘stick.

  16. packer74 04/05/2011 at 6:25 AM #

    Yikes. Not very encouraging. The search for a new men’s basketball coach at NC State has been canceled due to lack of interest.

  17. Wulfpack 04/05/2011 at 6:27 AM #

    Well, we’re officially screwed. No way Yow sends that letter if she already has somebody locked up. That letter signifies that we are back to square one and this thing is going to take a whole lot longer. It also signifies to me that we are all guilty of believing this job is better than it actually is.

    It seems as if Yow was waiting on Smart. She offered after VCU was eliminated. Smart reported back to VCU, they had their ducks in a row, and he declined. When Marshall got word that we offered to Smart, he took his name out (he claims he was contacted). Cronin was also contacted but I will not truly believe he was a serious candidate.

    So, back to square one. I am no going to criticize Yow just yet. She talked a big game but I do think she is regretting that today. This thing is turning out just like the last one.

  18. ushum 04/05/2011 at 6:29 AM #

    Gary. Stokan.

  19. IamGumbyDammit 04/05/2011 at 6:31 AM #

    My God you people whine like Carolina fans after they play NC State in football. Grow a pair already. Wait for the new coach announcement and THEN whine if you want to…

  20. tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc 04/05/2011 at 6:34 AM #

    “It also signifies to me that we are all guilty of believing this job is better than it actually is.”

    Or Woodson and Yow are not as good as some thought they are. Woodson has been going around for a year telling everyone that he “get’s it” and understands the importance of a winning program. He hires an AD not recommended by the committee and he and Yow manage a 4 weeks search that return nothing but a horrible email pointing out negatives. F’ing disaster and both should be held responsible.

    I can assure you that if one of Yow’s employees had botched something this badly, in public, Yow would fire that person in a heartbeat.

    She actually is blaming Lowe/Fowler in this email for her trouble. This is very typical of new people at State- I suck because the last person in my job sucked.

  21. NCSU88 04/05/2011 at 6:38 AM #

    We could just take a year or two off from basketball and probably save a lot of money and heartache.

  22. State Fan 04/05/2011 at 6:41 AM #

    This has every appearance of being the coaching search equivalent of the “weave and heave”. The stars couldn’t have aligned more perfectly (Smart and Stevens both lost at the right time) to get a hot mid-major coach. Now it’s time to quickly get the best low-major coach or high-to-mid-major assistant available. I’m tired of us being used for raises and contract extensions by shameless self-promoters.

  23. skippyjon jones 04/05/2011 at 6:42 AM #

    It’s not time to start pumping in borax and seawater yet.

    Give them some time. We are stressing because of the timing of “THE EMAIL” and the fact that it’s in the national media.

    Chill out and act like you support The Pack.

  24. highstick 04/05/2011 at 6:47 AM #

    I am writing to share with you the status of the search for our new head coach for men’s basketball. There have been telephone conversations with successful coaches that did not develop into meetings — sometimes because we did not wish to pursue those coaches further and sometimes because the coach involved is happy where he is..

    Translation: We talked to some coaches on the phone and after the conversation, we decided not to make an offer. We talked to others and they were too chicken to make a move…

    The conversations have been candid. We have not tried to sugarcoat the challenge of rebuilding our basketball program. Our absence for 5 consecutive years from the NCAA Tournament was noted by each coach as evidence that the program is in poor shape and will require a special effort to rebuild.

    Translation: We told them that we were going to rebuild the program into a national powerhouse, but they either too dense to conceive of that or didn’t have the nads for the challenge.

    Finding a coach with the fight and fire to do this job has been a challenge. That said, we will find an excellent college coach who shares the vision of what State Basketball can become and is up for the challenge.

    Translation: We hit a “perfect storm” with the “non favorites” with the good coaches making deep runs in the tournament…They had no fire for a new challenge cause they knew they had bargaining power with their contract renewal because of their NCAA tourney run.

    I realize there are multiple rumors surfacing about the nature of the search on websites and in newspapers. Once our new coach is hired, I will be in a position to bring perspective to a number of those rumors. But, right now, we need to remain focused on finding a talented collegiate coach who is a fighter, full of confidence and appreciation for the opportunity to lead our basketball program back to national prominence.

    Translation: There are a ton of idiots in the media and on the Interweb who are stirring up crap just for hits and attention. We’re focused on finding the right coach and ignoring their BS.

    That will happen in spite of those who believe this cannot occur.

    Translation: We’ll get a coach with the fire and guts no matter what the idiots say.

    Wolfpack Basketball is destined for a revival. We will accept no less. Please keep the faith while we continue the search. Your emails and text messages of support have meant everything to me. I am blessed to be your AD.

    Translation: We’re going to DO IT! We will survive and succeed. Hang in there! This crap didn’t happen overnight and we can’t fix it overnight, but we’re making the first honest shot at fixing the program!

    We’ll see!

  25. jbark 04/05/2011 at 6:48 AM #

    In 2006, we were coming off 5 straight NCAA tournament appearances but the program was in poor shape and took special effort to rebuild.

    In 2011, we were coming off 5 straight NCAA tournament absences and the program remains in poor shape and took special effort to rebuild.

    Finding a coach is like trading in a used car. It doesn’t matter what kind of shape your used car is in, the dealer is going to find some way to knock the price down.

    “I see your car has all the maintenance records, new tires, the motor runs great, and the interior is spiffy clean – BUT, there is this door ding down here by the fender. We can give you $5.00 for.”

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