Archive Photo by Luis Zapata
Debbie Yow became NC State’s director of athletics in 2010. Before becoming an director of athletics. Yow worked as a women's basketball coach, averaging 20 wins per season over eight years as a head coach.
Often when one takes over a new athletic program, sweeping changes are required. You have to build from the ground up. After all, the reason a new voice to lead is needed is often not a positive one. That’s been the case for several new coaches at NC State in the past nine years.
Thanks to the person who hired all but three of NC State’s current coaches, that won’t be what is required from incoming Athletics Director Boo Corrigan, who was introduced at a news conference at Reynolds Coliseum Thursday and will take over his new post May 1.
The retiring Debbie Yow, who joined NC State in 2010, is leaving Corrigan in a very good place.
“You have to see the success that’s occurred here,” Corrigan said. “Not only athletically, but academically and from the brand and every aspect of the institution. … Because of the success that has occurred because of the coaches that they have hired. Four teams in the top 10 right now. … You want to be a part of a winner, you want to be a part of a place that does it the right way. That’s what we were looking at and that’s what we felt and that’s why we were so interested.”
Yow is responsible for creating that feeling, and making this such an attractive job for Corrigan, in large part through the coaches she’s hired. The Wolfpack finished 10th in the final fall standings for the Learfield Directors’ Cup, and four winter sports (women’s basketball, wrestling and men’s swimming and diving) are currently ranked in the top 10. NC State finished 15th in the final 2018 standings.
Only baseball’s Elliott Avent, track and field’s Rollie Geiger and women’s golf’s Paige Marsh were not hired by Yow. Of the 17 coaches she did hire, most have either been successful or appear on their way to doing so.
Dave Doeren has led the football team to the second most wins in the ACC over the past two seasons, and is dominating in-state recruiting. Kevin Keatts has far surpassed expectations for where his men’s basketball program would be in year two after leading the team to the NCAA Tournament in year one and going 4-2 against top-10 opponents so far.
Wes Moore, a former assistant of the late Kay Yow, Debbie’s sister, has transformed women’s basketball into a juggernaut. The team sits at 20-0 on the season and is the last undefeated team in Division I basketball this season.
Pat Popolizio has transformed wrestling into a national title contender, and Michael Macchiavello brought home an individual championship last season. Braden Holloway has both swimming and diving teams dominating, and the men brought home five individual titles last season.
George Kiefer led the men’s soccer team to its first NCAA Tournament win in 24 years last season and Tim Santoro has led women’s soccer to the Sweet 16 three seasons in a row.
The list goes on, as every coach put in place by Yow has their program either achieving success or on the right track. While there have been missteps (see Gottfried, Mark), Yow was quick to correct them, and her role in bringing NC State Athletics to where it is today can’t be overstated.
“Debbie and her staff did a wonderful job finding [coaches],” Corrigan said. “So much of it comes down to fit. There’s probably a lot of good coaches around, but it comes down to fit and who fits the best at NC State. And I think that’s a critical aspect. Based on the eyes that were on me yesterday, when I was in there, they’re clearly passionate about what it is. They’re clearly looking for me to be a part of what’s going on and what’s happening.”
However, just because the Pack’s various programs are in a healthy place with stable coaching staffs doesn’t mean Corrigan will come in and just try to maintain the status quo.
With little to nothing needed in the way of personnel changes, Corrigan can look to other areas for means of improvement. He discussed continuing Yow and her staff’s work constantly improving focus on students’ performance in the classroom and physical and mental care off the court.
Corrigan, who won’t start at NC State until May 1, did not comment specifically on entertainment or facilities changes, but he has a couple options in that regard. More widespread sale of alcohol at college football and basketball games is a continued debate, and NC State’s baseball program could do with an upgrade facilities wise.
“Every opportunity you have is a chance to get better,” Corrigan said. “And I think that’s how I look at every day when I’ll be the AD is to continue to look at it from that standpoint of how can we continue to push forward? How can we continue to develop our student athletes? How can we continue to develop our coaches for that matter from the top leaders and those sorts of things to make sure that they have every resource they need. Again, high-class problems because of the great job that Debbie did.”
After the work Yow has put in during her nine years as AD, her legacy as one of the NC State greats is secure. She’s brought in winner after winner in the coaching market, and her upgrades to facilities have made a huge difference too. The addition of the Close King Indoor Practice Facility is a major talking point on the football recruiting trail, and massive upgrades to Reynolds that were finished in 2016 have played a large role in the growth of women’s basketball, wrestling, volleyball and gymnastics.
The goal coming into a program should always be to leave in better than you found it. Yow is doing that and then some with NC State.
“Without a doubt,” NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson said. “Debbie came in here at a time when NC State wasn’t as competitive as we should be athletically, certainly not as competitive in terms of the success of our student athletes in the classroom as we should be. Look at this building. Look at the indoor practice facility. Look at where we are as a university, athletically and academically. Debbie has played a big, big role in that and deserves her name among those that have transformed this place.”