From the Archives
Former Wolfpack star guard named head coach
Tanner Kroeger, Sports Editor 2006
Excerpt from Technician Sports Page
May 25, 2006
Chancellor James Oblinger and Director of Athletics Lee Fowler introduced Detroit Pistons’ assistant coach and former N.C. State guard, Sidney Lowe, as the Wolfpack’s 18th men’s basketball coach May 6 at the Dali Basketball Complex in front of current and former players, the Board of Trustees and prominent figures around the University.
Lowe played on coach Jim Valvano’s 1983 National Championship team, and as the first pick of the second round in the NBA draft that year, he has been involved in the NBA—as a player, as a coach and as an analyst—since he left the University.
He did not, however, leave the University with a degree, and he has not yet earned one. Since a four-year degree from an accredited college is required to coach at State, Lowe will have to complete his degree before officially taking over the team July 1, 2006.
For Oblinger, his new coach’s pursuit of a degree shows Lowe’s commitment to education.
“Like one-third of the students in higher education in this country, he is an adult learner who has balanced work, school and family to complete a degree,” Oblinger said. “The fact that he has worked hard to achieve a degree, when none of his NBA employers required it, says a lot about the views he takes on education.”
Lowe is scheduled to earn a degree in business administration from St. Paul’s College in Virginia sometime in June.
He said he’s going to maintain the commitment to academic achievement the school boasted during former coach Herb Sendek’s tenure.
Another “Lowe” blow
Trey Ferguson, Viewpoint Editor
The much-appreciated, and needed, resignation of N.C. State’s head basketball coach, Sidney Lowe, brought joy to N.C. State basketball’s fan base. While his time at N.C. State has had highs and “Lowes” the many cons of having him on as our head coach strongly outweighed the pros.
Since this article was published in 2006, Lowe’s finer moments have included recruiting his first major star, J.J. Hickson, the number one ranked player in Georgia, in October of 2006; this was followed by his four-star edition Tracy Smith in November 2006. This recruitment haul led Pack to win its first in-conference tilt, and in November 2007, winning the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Florida. Lowe’s initial momentum held strong shortly after being hired in 2006; however, this momentum did not last, as seen by the public opinion around campus on his 2011 season’s many upsets.
While Lowe’s initial employment announcement, followed by his furthering of higher education, was met with great respect and admiration, the hiring process in 2006 should not have been aimed at an inspirational story, but rather with the intentions of winning another National Championship.
Today, Sidney Lowe is leaving the Pack and fans have high hopes of bringing in a coach with a vision and a way to implement it. While his recruitment skills were legendary, his coaching abilities deserve a spot in the hall of shame. Currently his business administration degree will land him a new job sooner than his previous basketball records.
