Agree Beej, we have two head coaches in the money programs that are not only great fits for their respective programs but they’re great fits for the University and fan base(s).
There’s plenty of negatives and/or criticisms that could be said about or used against Gottfried from his past and perhaps time here, but he has embraced all the challenges of being the NC State head basketball coach in its current state (post Lowe + Sendek; media narrative run amok, among many other things). I don’t mean to get too ‘sunshine squad-y’, but Gottfried has faced those challenges head on and embraced everything about being the State coach. He deserves a ton of credit and respect in this area, imo. Plus two Sweet 16’s in four seasons ain’t too bad, either.
Doeren may be short on experience, but I think he has already shown himself to be easy to relate with for a lot of State fans. I know it’s catering to the fans when he speaks publicly about it, but I believe his high work ethic, no BS persona is genuine. I’d say the collective State fan base knows BS when it’s said or displayed rather well; plenty of experience having it shoved down our throats from many different angles. Doeren doesn’t seem to abide it – cool. Season two showed that the program could have some real potential for the future.
