NC State finds itself in coaching rumor mill

Coach Tom O'Brien and the Pack after defeating Wake Forest 37-6on November 10, 2012 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

By Joe Ovies
Nov 15, 2012

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The college coaching carousel starts well before the football season ends. Arkanas, Auburn and Tennessee have been waiting in line to get on for a few weeks. Once they get a spin, others will step right up for a ride.

Could NC State be one of the participants?

According to a Rivals affiliated site VandySports.com, Vanderbilt head football coach James Franklin turned down the opportunity to speak with NC State "about its head football coaching position." The article was initially placed behind a paywall and has since been deleted. More Info NCSU offensive leaders

Setting aside for a moment how lame it is throw stories like this out there under the guise of paid insider content, it's important to remember the internet never forgets. The "sourced" story spread like wildfire on Twitter and message boards within minutes of posting.

That's how rumors worm their way into the mainstream, even if they stop making sense upon closer examination. Last time we checked, the Wolfpack don't have an open head coaching position. Of course Franklin would turn down an opportunity to talk with NC State -- because all parties involved still have jobs.

Franklin would be an obvious target for NC State athletics director Debbie Yow if current head coach Tom O'Brien did not return for his 7th season with the Wolfpack. Yow was the athletics director at Maryland when Franklin was tabbed as the "coach in waiting" behind embattled Ralph Friedgen, but he jumped at the opportunity to coach Vanderbilt before the succession plan could be implemented. Throw in Yow's continued professional relationship with Franklin, it's rather easy to connect the dots and speculate behind a paywall for the rumor hungry masses. More Info More NCSU Stories

Back channels are the norm this time of year, so it's not a surprise to see rumors like this pop up in the radar. Folks are always talking and positioning themselves for potential openings or using those openings as leverage. This isn't even the first rumor to make the rounds concerning a particular job in Raleigh.

But keep in mind that O'Brien is still in position to take NC State to a best case 8-win season and a bowl game for the third straight season. Before scoffing at the possibility O'Brien keeps his job despite an angst filled year, consider the Atlantic Coast Conference is facing a bowlmageddon of sorts with only four eligible teams with two weeks left in the season.

Should Miami decide to forgo a bowl once they become eligible to appease the NCAA gods and Clemson grabs a second BCS bid for the conference, officials in Atlanta will have to look at Duke or a potential 7-win Wolfpack squad for the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.

Reality hits hard, bro. There are too many variables with games left to play to get an honest assessment of when the coach carousel will stop next.

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RE: NC State finds itself in coaching rumor mill

ok..got it..so if we are going to fund the biggest revenue sport..why settle for a coach who will never be better than the MIDDLE of the teams...just continue to pay big bucks for a our coach while "unoccupied seats"at a great facility, maybe high paying AD will do something...Maybe bonus next year should be on ticket sales for AD..

RE: NC State finds itself in coaching rumor mill

Why not let him finish out his contract? Ya have to pay the money so ya might as well keep him. Is anyone in line for his job? I'm not trying to be funny but really...think about it.

I really feel that because he lost to UNC everyone at state wants him fired, ya win some and we win some...BIG deal!!! He is a good coach, let him go out with a little respect!!!
- Posted by Aint ur day

wrong...people want him gone because he loses games he's not supposed to lose. If he beats Miami and Virginia, the UNC loss isn't a big deal
- Posted by ewcanes
... good coach doesn't equal great success, and it is obvious that State wants to get to the next level which TOB is not capable of doing.
- Posted by BULLCityBGTD

What is this proverbial next level people speak of? Face it, we are never going to be an Alabama or LSU. Carolina tried to get there and see what happened? They didn't even win a decent bowl game under Butch and black Santa. It's not worth the risk. Schools like 'Bama can cheat and get away with it, ACC schools can't, plain and simple. TOB is a good coach in my opinion and knows how to run a good program. You whiners will wish for a coach like him in a couple of years.

RE: NC State finds itself in coaching rumor mill

Why not let him finish out his contract? Ya have to pay the money so ya might as well keep him. Is anyone in line for his job? I'm not trying to be funny but really...think about it.

I really feel that because he lost to UNC everyone at state wants him fired, ya win some and we win some...BIG deal!!! He is a good coach, let him go out with a little respect!!!
- Posted by Aint ur day

wrong...people want him gone because he loses games he's not supposed to lose. If he beats Miami and Virginia, the UNC loss isn't a big deal
- Posted by ewcanes
... good coach doesn't equal great success, and it is obvious that State wants to get to the next level which TOB is not capable of doing.
- Posted by BULLCityBGTD

I don't think they want to get to the next level. I think they want to skip a few levels. For NC teams, the next level is still pretty mediocre. It's not like we're one rung from the top. There's a lot of ladder left to climb.

RE: NC State finds itself in coaching rumor mill

Why not let him finish out his contract? Ya have to pay the money so ya might as well keep him. Is anyone in line for his job? I'm not trying to be funny but really...think about it.

I really feel that because he lost to UNC everyone at state wants him fired, ya win some and we win some...BIG deal!!! He is a good coach, let him go out with a little respect!!!
- Posted by Aint ur day

wrong...people want him gone because he loses games he's not supposed to lose. If he beats Miami and Virginia, the UNC loss isn't a big deal
- Posted by ewcanes

... good coach doesn't equal great success, and it is obvious that State wants to get to the next level which TOB is not capable of doing.

RE: NC State finds itself in coaching rumor mill

State doesn't fire coaches, Herb left, Lowe resigned and TOB will retire....
- Posted by sportznut628

Ya, UNC-CHeat let's employees steal from them, pay them back and then retire.
- Posted by Coach Doherty

No response, no surprise!

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Joe Ovies