The Wolfpack dropped to 3-4 after falling at Stanford, ending Doeren's 14-year tenure that included 98 wins and 11 bowl trips.
North Carolina State has fired head coach Dave Doeren in the middle of his 14th season, the school announced Saturday. The move came a day after NC State lost on the road to Stanford, dropping the Wolfpack to 3-4 on the year.
Doeren's exit closes out a 14-year run in Raleigh that produced 98 wins and 11 bowl trips, making it the longest tenure of any coach in the program's history. The loss to Stanford appears to have been the breaking point for a season that started with higher expectations than a 3-4 record suggests.
Doeren's firing is being described as the most high-profile coaching change in college football so far this season, and NC State is now considered one of the more attractive open jobs on the market. The school has not named an interim coach or outlined a timeline for a permanent hire. Speculation about potential replacements has already begun, with names from both the coaching ranks and outside football circles being floated as the Wolfpack look toward 2027 and beyond.